Free Agency Analysis: Akoldah Gak to The Hawks

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

As an 18-year-old DP, Gak will only receive spot minutes in NBL21 but he’s definitely a high-upside prospect.

By Liam Santamaria

Signed by: The Hawks

The deal: Three years (development player in NBL21 then upgraded to full roster)

Age: 18

2019-20 team: Blair Academy, New Jersey (high school)

Projected role: As an 18-year-old DP, Gak will only receive spot minutes in NBL21 but he’s definitely a high-upside prospect.

Quote: “I am very excited for Akoldah to join the team. He is a great young talent with a bright future and we’ve got big plans for his development.” – Brian Goorjian (Hawks head coach)

My take: Make no mistake, this kid has the potential to be an NBA Draft pick in a couple of years.

A 6-foot-11 big man with a varied skillset, Gak joins the Hawks on a three year deal that will see him spend year one as a DP before being upgraded to the fully-contracted roster. All in all, it’s a very savvy signing by the Hawks.

Gak, who has two older brothers playing college ball in the States, has great size and length, is a good athlete, moves well and has nice touch around the basket. He’s also an excellent rim-protector and, while he’s still raw, his shooting form is sound and he finishes with aggression whenever he gets near the bucket. In fact, that’s what jumps off the screen when you watch his clips: every time he gets the chance, he dunks the bejesus out of the ball!

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"Tall, athletic, multi-skilled, multi-purpose, and somebody that the NBA is pointing at" <br><br>Brian Goorjian is excited about Akoldah Gak's potential with the Hawks and where the game can take him ? <a href="https://t.co/PgQNF6oMB0">pic.twitter.com/PgQNF6oMB0</a></p>— Hawks Basketball (@thehawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/thehawks/status/1315443313223368704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Another interesting element of this signing is that Gak, who will complete his final year of high school online, already had offers from a number of high-profile Div 1 colleges on the table. Schools like UConn and Georgetown were all over him but the teenager has turned his back on the US system in order to come home and develop his game in the NBL. That’s a big tick for the league.

In summary, don’t expect too much out of Gak this season. But as he develops both his body and game under the watchful eye of the NBL’s greatest ever coach, definitely keep an eye on him over the next few years. He’s a very exciting prospect.