Category: Atlanta Hawks Blog

Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels has been named the inaugural Defensive Player of the Month in the Eastern Conference for games played in October and November, the NBA announced.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama wins the award in the Western Conference.

The 21-year-old Daniels appeared in 19 games during October and November, recording 57 steals, 16 more than the next closest players (Tari Eason, Jalen Williams: 41). He also tallied 18 blocks, becoming the first player since Michael Jordan in 1988 to record at least 57 steals and 18 blocks within the first 19 games of a season. The 6-7 guard’s 75 stocks (steals + blocks) were the most in the Eastern Conference and second-most in the NBA, trailing only Wembanyama.

The Atlanta Hawks have exercised the third-year (2025-26) contract option for Kobe Bufkin and fourth-year (2025-26) contract option for Dyson Daniels, it was announced today.

Selected by the Hawks with the 15th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Bufkin appeared in 17 games during his rookie season, notching 4.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 11.5 minutes. The Michigan product scored his first NBA point at Milwaukee on Oct. 29, knocking down a free throw.

He saw action in 14 games (all starts) with the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League in 2023-24, averaging 23.6 points, 5.9 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 32.0 minutes. He netted 34 points in his Skyhawks debut on Dec. 27 against Greensboro, marking the most points scored in a Skyhawks’ debut in club history. In a win over the Motor City Cruise on Jan. 15, Bufkin tallied 12 points, 12 assists and five steals in 36 minutes, becoming the first Skyhawk in franchise history to contribute 10+ points, 10+ assists and 5+ steals in a single outing.

Daniels, who was acquired by Atlanta on July 6, 2024 from New Orleans, has appeared in four games (all starts) for the Hawks this season, posting 12.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.0 block in 32.5 minutes (.500 FG%, .353 3FG%). He currently leads the NBA in total steals (11) and deflections (28). His 28 deflections are 12 more than the next closest players (Nikola Jokic, Marcus Smart, Cason Wallace and Jonathan Mogbo all have 16 deflections).

A 2024 Panini Rising Star, Daniels recorded 1.4 steals per game during the 2023-24 campaign, the 10th-most in the NBA, and owned a .341 steal percentage last season, ranking fifth in the league (min. 50 GP). He recorded a career-high six steals at Utah on Nov. 25, becoming the only second-year player to record at least six steals in a single game this past season and one of only two first-or-second year players to do so, joining Victor Wembanyama. He recorded all six steals in the first half, tied for the most steals in a single half in the NBA this past season and tied for the second-most steals in a single half in New Orleans history.

Selected eighth overall in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Pelicans, the 6-7 guard owns career averages of 5.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 20.4 minutes in 124 games (31 starts). Prior to the Pelicans, he spent the 2021-22 season with the NBA G League Ignite, where he was named to the 2022 Clorox Rising Stars roster.

Daniels, a native of Bendigo, Australia, played for Australia in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Guard Bogdan Bogdanovic underwent a non-surgical procedure yesterday at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex. He will be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks and his status will be updated as appropriate.

Guard Kobe Bufkin (right shoulder subluxation) has begun treatment and rehabilitation. He will be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks and his status will be updated as appropriate.

Guard Dyson Daniels sustained a right hip flexor strain during last night’s game vs. Washington. He will be listed as out for tomorrow’s game at Washington and will continue to receive treatment. His status is day-to-day.

Forward Vit Krejci sustained a right adductor strain during last night’s game vs. Washington. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks and his status will be updated as appropriate.

The Atlanta Hawks today announced the team’s four-game 2024 preseason schedule, including home contests against the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers, along with road games at Miami and Oklahoma City.

Atlanta begins exhibition play on Tuesday, Oct. 8 versus Indiana (7:30 p.m.) before heading to Miami to take on the Heat on Thursday, Oct. 10 (7:30 p.m.). The Hawks return home to take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, Oct. 14 (7:30 p.m.) and travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder in Atlanta’s preseason finale on Thursday, Oct. 17 (8 p.m.).

The Atlanta Hawks recently signed forward Dominick Barlow to a two-way contract.

Barlow appeared in 33 games (one start) during the 2023-24 season with San Antonio, averaging 4.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 12.7 minutes (.496 FG%, .333 3FG%, .690 FT%). He posted a season-best 19 points on 7-10 shooting from the field, in addition to eight rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block in 30 minutes in a win over the Golden State Warriors on March 9.

He saw action in six games this past summer with the Spurs (California Classic: two games, NBA 2K25 Summer League: four games), averaging 15.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 blocks in 26.2 minutes of play (.612 FG%).

The Atlanta Hawks back in the first week of July signed rookie forward Zaccharie Risacher.

The Hawks selected Risacher with the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, as he became Atlanta’s first No. 1 overall pick since the 1975 NBA Draft.

Risacher most recently suited up for JL Bourg (France), appearing in 32 French League Pro A regular season games (23 starts), averaging 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 21.9 minutes of play (.439 FG%, .352 3FG%, .740 FT%). He was named the 2023-24 French League Best Young Player, as well as the French LNB Pro A Best Young Player of the Month twice, earning the recognition in October and November.

The 2023-24 EuroCup Rising Star Award recipient saw action in 23 EuroCup games, averaging 11.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 23.5 minutes (.503 FG%, .450 3FG%, .688 FT%).

Risacher played in 50 career French League Pro A regular season contests, owning averages of 7.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 18.3 minutes (.425 FG%, .338 3FG%, .729 FT%). Prior to suiting up for JL Bourg, he played two seasons with French club ASVEL (2021-23), where he played alongside 2023 No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama during the 2021-22 season.

The 6-9 forward made his Senior National Team debut with France at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers in February 2024. He also represented France at the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup, winning the silver medal, and helped lead France to the bronze medal at the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup.

Risacher, who was born in Spain, grew up in Lyon, France. His father, Stephane, won the silver medal for basketball with France at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The Atlanta Hawks have converted the contract of guard Trent Forrest from a two-way to a standard NBA contract.

In 20 games played with the Hawks this season, Forrest is averaging 2.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 10.5 minutes of action. The 6-4 guard appeared in one game with the College Park Skyhawks this season, leading the club to a 100-82 win over the Cleveland Charge on Feb. 28, 2024. He finished the win with 16 points on 7-12 shooting from the floor, in addition to four rebounds, seven assists and six steals in 26 minutes.

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Forrest has appeared in 133 games over the course of his four-year NBA career (nine starts), recording 2.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 11.7 minutes of action. He spent the 2022-23 season as a two-way player with the Hawks and the previous two seasons (2020-22) as a two-way player with the Utah Jazz, after going undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft.

A product of Florda State, Forrest appeared in 137 games (69 starts) over his four-year collegiate career, tallying 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals in 25.4 minutes (.462 FG%, .748 FT%). He finished his Seminole career as the all-time winningest player in program history with 104 wins, ranked third in total steals (224) and games played (137), while ranking fifth in total assists (455) and 10th in free throws made (336). The Chipley, Florida, native was selected to the 2019-20 All-ACC Second Team and All-ACC Defensive Team, while garnering All-ACC Academic Team honors in each year at Florida State (2017-20).