Asa Newell

Asa Christian Newell (born October 5, 2005) is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Georgia Bulldogs. Newell was a consensus five-star recruit in the class of 2024, earning the 2023 FIBA Under-19 World Cup Defensive MVP.

Early life and high school career Newell was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up in Athens, Georgia before his family moved to Destin, Florida when he was ten years old. He initially attended Choctawhatchee High School in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Newell averaged 14.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game and was named the area Player of the Year by the Northwest Florida Daily News as a sophomore. Newell transferred to Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida prior to the start of his junior year.

Recruiting Newell was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2024 class, according to major recruiting services. On October 25, 2023, he committed to playing college basketball for Georgia after considering offers from Texas, Alabama, and Gonzaga. He signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Bulldogs on November 8, 2023, during the early signing period.

College career On November 4, 2024, Newell made his debut for the Georgia Bulldogs, recording 26 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks in an 83–78 win over Tennessee Tech. He averaged 15.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.0 block in 29.0 minutes per game. Newell was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Following the season, he declared for the 2025 NBA draft.

Professional career On June 25, 2025, Newell was selected with the 23rd pick by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2025 NBA draft, but was subsequently traded along with a future unprotected first-round pick to his hometown team, the Atlanta Hawks, in exchange for the draft rights of his former high school teammate Derik Queen.

National team career Newell played for the United States under-17 basketball team at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup. Newell was also named to the United States under-19 basketball team to play in the 2023 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup.

Career statistics

NBA Regular season

Playoffs

College

Personal life Newell's older brother, Jaden, is a walk-on basketball player at Georgia.

Newell is the son of Justin Newell and Carmen Mitchell-Newell. He lived in Athens, Georgia for six years during his childhood, from when he was 4-10, while his grandmother, Jacqueline Mitchell, served as an administrative assistant in Human Resources at UGA.