ATLANTA — The Atlanta Hawks entered the 2024 NBA Draft without a second round pick, but they left with the 43th.
The Hawks traded former first round pick AJ Griffin to the Miami Heat for the rights to Serbian player Nikola Djurišić. The Heat then traded Griffin to the Houston Rockets for the 44th pick in the draft.
Djurišić, a 6-foot-7 guard, played 30 games overseas in the Adriatic League this past year. He averaged 15.4 points, 3 rebounds and 3.5 assists during those games. He also shot 34% from 3-point range.
Djurišić won the Adriatic League’s ‘Top Prospect Award’ in 2023, and was named the U19 Adriatic Junior League MVP.
Griffin was the 16th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and spent two seasons in Atlanta after playing at Duke in college. Griffin averaged nine points per game during 72 games in his rookie season, shooting 39% from beyond-the-arc.
In his sophomore year, Griffin was limited by injuries. He only played 20 games this past season, and regressed in nearly every area.
With him off the roster, it will create more playing time for incoming-rookie Zaccharie Risacher. The Hawks selected Risacher with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, and they have high hopes for him in the upcoming season.
The Hawks finished this past season with a 36-46 record, narrowly missing the playoffs. Between the additions of Risacher and Djurišić, Atlanta head coach Quin Snyder has plenty of international talent to help him return to the postseason.