Atlanta Hawks rookie second-round pick Nikola Djurisic suffered a toe injury in the team’s Summer League loss to the San Antonio Spurs on July 14. Further testing revealed a fracture, though the Hawks did not provide a timeline.
His agent, Misko Raznatovic, offered that and more, revealing the injury required surgery.
“Nikola Djurisic, playing for Atlanta, suffered an injury in the form of a fracture of the metatarsal bone of his left foot in the match of the NBA summer league,” Raznatovic posted on X on July 16. “Repairing the injury requires surgery, which is expected this week. The return to the field is planned for the end of September!”
Djurisic was the No. 43 overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. He averaged 4.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in his two Summer League appearances.
He struggled with efficiency and had teammates miss shots off some of his flashy passes. But Summer League stats are not indicators of future NBA success. And his aggressiveness showed every time he touched the ball.
A four-year pro at 20 years old, Djurisic’s future with the Hawks in 2024-25 is unclear.
He would add more size to the roster, specifically on the perimeter which has been a theme of General Landry Fields’ offseason moves so far.
The Dejounte Murray trade sent out one player – who is listed at 6-foot-5 – for four players who all stand at least 6-foot-6. The Hawks are deep at guard with Bogdan Bogdanovic, Dyson Daniels, and Kobe Bufkin all around and/or behind Trae Young on the depth chart.
Training camps around the NBA will start by October 1.
That means Djurisic has plenty of time to heal up before the preseason if the plan is to keep him with the team.
Hawks' roster near capacity
The Hawks have 14 players on guaranteed contracts and 16 players who either logged significant minutes in 2023-24 or are in the plans for 2024-25. Neither of those figures include Djurisic.
They also have one open two-way contract slot.
A two-way contract would limit Djurisic to 50 NBA appearances. Djurisic would be choosing between a likely season most likely spent in the G League over returning to play overseas.
Djurisic’s injury only adds to the complexity and uncertainty of the situation. But the Hawks traded into the second round to select him, with Fields noting the significant loss of AJ Griffin to do so.
That all points to Djurisic being a part of the Hawks’ plans sooner rather than later.
However, in the wake of what can be a tricky injury to recover from, they are forced to wait while he recovers.