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Hawks look in-state, pick Asa Newell in the first round
Așa Newell AP Photo/Users/covington2/Desktop/Asa Newell.webp

Former Georgia Bulldog Asa Newell will remain in Georgia to begin his professional career in the NBA.

Newell was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans with the No. 23 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night. Shortly thereafter, he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks.

Atlanta and New Orleans swapped the rights to Newell and Derik Queen, who was selected No. 13 by the Hawks.

Newell is the 40th Bulldog to be selected in the NBA Draft and was ninth first-round pick from the university.

Newell joined Anthony Edwards (No. 1 in 2020), Dominique Wilkins (No. 3 in 1982), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (No. 8 in 2013), Willie Anderson (No. 10 in 1988), Jarvis Hayes (No. 10 in 2003), Alec Kessler (No. 12 in 1990), Vern Fleming (No. 18 in 1984) and Jumaine Jones (No. 27 in 1999).

Newell’s path is similar to that of one of the Hawks’ biggest legends in Wilkins. In 1982, Wilkins was taken with the No. 3 pick by the Utah Jazz before he was traded to the Hawks before his rookie season.

Newell had a standout season with the Bulldogs, as he led Georgia to its first NCAA Tournament bid in a decade. 

Newell was named as a second-team Freshman All-America and was voted to the SEC's All-Freshman team by league coaches. Newell was named SEC Freshman of the Week four times – on Nov. 18, Dec. 9, Jan. 13 and Feb. 10 – to match Anthony Edwards' record for most SEC Freshman of the Week honors by a Bulldog.

Newell averaged 15.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, and he became the first freshman to lead the Bulldogs in both scoring and rebounding in more than a quarter century (since Jumaine Jones in 1997-98).

Among SEC statistical leaders, he finished the season ranked No. 14 in scoring (15.4 ppg), No. 9 in rebounding (6.9 rpg), No. 3 in field goal percentage (.543), No. 2 in offensive rebounding (3.3 orpg) and fifth in double-doubles (seven). Nationally, Newell ranked No. 50 overall and No. 3 among freshmen in field goal percentage.

The Hawks’ selection came a few months after the Atlanta Falcons selected Georgia’s Jalon Walker with the 15th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Walker became the first Bulldog taken in the first round by the Falcons in the organization's history.