Atlanta Hawks 2024 Summer League matchup rankings, including matchups against Alex Sarr and Bronny James

Once the NBA Draft is over and free agency has settled in, basketball fans will be gearing up for Summer League and will be ready to see some of their favorite team’s young talents. For the Atlanta Hawks, it will be the first opportunity to see this year’s first overall pick, Zaccharie Risacher, in action. Risacher will be part of the Hawks’ Summer League roster, which has yet to be officially announced. Not only Risacher, but also last year’s first overall pick, Kobe Bufkin, Nikola Djurisic, and Mo Gueye are players who have been confirmed to be on the Hawks’ Summer League roster.

Atlanta is set to face the Washington Wizards, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls this summer. Each of these games has its share of intrigue and players to watch, but which one will be the most anticipated?

4. vs. Chicago Bulls (July 19, 6:00 p.m. EST, NBATV)

It was a pretty easy decision to make. Of the Hawks’ four Summer League games, this one is by far the least interesting. There will be one key element to watch for in this game, though: the matchup between Risacher and Bulls first-round pick Matas Buzelis. Before the draft, Buzelis spoke with Shams Charania and had this to say about a matchup with Risacher:

It will be an interesting matchup between two of the most talented players in the draft and a great way to wrap up Summer League.

3. Hawks vs. Spurs (July 14, 8:00 p.m. EST, ESPN2)

The Hawks and Spurs are two teams that are tied together due to the Dejounte Murray trade and the fact that San Antonio owns the Hawks’ picks for the next three years. San Antonio also has plenty of young talent and while Victor Wembanyama won’t play in this game, this year’s No. 4 pick Stephon Castle is expected to play and a matchup between two top-four picks will be a must-see.

2. Hawks vs. Lakers (July 17, 9:30 p.m. EST, ESPN)

All eyes will be on the Lakers this summer and for good reason. This will be the NBA debut of Bronny James, the son of LeBron James. Many eyes will be on Bronny this summer and he will have the opportunity to face Risacher and the Hawks.

1. Hawks vs. Wizards (July 12, 9:30 p.m. EST, ESPN)

The first game of the Hawks Summer League schedule might just be the best one yet. The teams with the top two picks in this year’s draft will face off in what should be one of the best matchups of the Summer League. Much has been made about how Alex Sarr would have preferred to play for the Wizards over the Hawks, and Sarr will now be facing Atlanta for the first time. There will likely be a lot of overreaction to this game, especially if one player outshines the other, but that’s the nature of Summer League and seeing young players for the first time.