The Atlanta Hawks are going to wrap up play in the Salt Lake City Summer League tonight with a matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. Like Atlanta, the Grizzlies come into this game 1-1, with a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder and a loss to the Utah Jazz.
Atlanta lost in overtime to Utah on Saturday, and for the first half of yesterday’s game, they looked as if they were going to fall to 0-2 after falling behind early vs the Thunder. The team fought back though, using defense and strong play from their first-round rookies Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor.
One thing to keep in mind for tonight is that while it is Summer League, both teams played last night and both teams might not want to play certain players on back-to-backs, especially considering that Las Vegas Summer League is coming up next. Will the Hawks elect to play guys like Flemings, Ejiofor, and Asa Newell tonight? Does Memphis consider resting Cedric Coward and Cameron Boozer? Those are things to keep an eye on and with no injury reports for Summer League, we might not know until tipoff.
Game Preview
All eyes were going to be on the Hawks’ draft picks in both Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, and they have not disappointed, especially Flemings and Ejiofor. Flemings is averaging 13.0 PPG and 7.0 APG through two games so far in Salt Lake City, and he has looked in control of the offense in both games. The shooting has not been great for the young point guard, but he has been running the offense well and looks poised. He is not turning the ball over and is also making impact plays on the defensive end.
Through 2 SL games, Kingston Flemings has:
14 assists
2 turnovers
5 steals
3 blocks
+26 in 54 minutes— Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) July 7, 2026
Ejiofor was a bit of a surprise pick for the Hawks, but he has been fantastic so far. His three-point shooting is likely going to be his swing skill for how much of an impact player he can be, and he has been solid so far, going 3-8 last night. He has also been very good on defense, guarding all five positions and rebounding the ball well.
Newell also had a good night, scoring 13 points and pulling in seven rebounds, as well as being a team best +25 when on the court. Newell came into Summer League with high expectations due to being a second year player and he has been pretty solid so far.
Another standout for the Hawks include Kobe Johnson, who has been lights out on the defensive end (which is not unexpected).
Last night, the Hawks were missing RayJ Dennis, Eli Ndiaye, and Jacob Toppin, three major contributors for this team and players who have played in real NBA games. Dennis is already on a two-way contract with the Hawks, while Ndiaye and Toppin were on two-way contracts before injuries cut their year short. They could be back tonight and should play major roles.
Other players to watch tonight will be Isaac McKneely, Gabe Madsen, and potentially Keshon Gilbert (Gilbert could sit out, he is already on a two-way contract with the Hawks).
The headliners for the Grizzlies are, of course, Boozer and Coward. If they play tonight, they are going to be a handful for the Hawks to deal with, even though Atlanta has played good defense over the course of these two games.
Boozer has been as advertised through two games in Salt Lake City. He finished with 18 points and seven rebounds last night against the Jazz, including shooting 4-5 from three-point range. Coward has looked like he is too good for Summer League already and that is something that you should expect for someone who was one of the best rookies in the NBA last season.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper is another name to know on Memphis’s roster.
How to Watch
Today’s game will be shown at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU and Prime Video.
Projected Starters
G – Kingston Flemings
G – RayJ Dennis
F – Gabe Madsen
F – Asa Newell
C – Zuby Ejiofor
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