Serbian guard Nikola Djurisic sustained a left foot fracture in the first quarter of Sunday’s Summer League game vs. San Antonio, the Hawks announced in a press release (Twitter link). It’s unclear how much time he will miss, but certainly his Summer League is over.
The 43rd overall pick of June’s draft, Djurisic’s rights were acquired by Atlanta as part of a three-team deal that sent former first-rounder AJ Griffin to Houston. A 6’7″ guard, Djurisic record seven points, two rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes in his Hawks debut on Saturday, a six-point loss to Washington.
While those numbers don’t jump off the page, he did have the highlight of the game — a poster dunk over two big men, including second overall pick Alex Sarr. Djurisic also displayed an ability to create for himself and others off the dribble, going to the line seven times, though he made just three of those attempts.
Djurisic has played professionally for Mega Basket over the past four seasons and that was true again in 2023/24. He appeared in 26 games (30.7 MPG) for the Serbian club, averaging 14.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steal on .454/.330/.739 shooting.
Djurisic’s injury is unfortunate on multiple fronts. On a personal level, he is one of 10 second-round picks in 2024 who have yet to sign an NBA contract. Atlanta has 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, plus the non-guaranteed salary of Bruno Fernando, making a standard deal for Djurisic seemingly unlikely (barring trades). The Hawks do have a two-way vacancy, however, assuming that would appeal to both sides.
It’s also unfortunate for Atlanta, which already lost second-year guard Kobe Bufkin for the rest of Summer League due to a shoulder injury. Now, the Hawks will have to figure out what to do with Djurisic’s contract situation while he recovers from the injury.