Former St. John’s Guard Lands Summer League Deal With Atlanta Hawks originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Former St. John’s Red Storm guard Deivon Smith signed a summer league contract on Saturday with the Atlanta Hawks, according to New York Post sports reporter Zach Braziller.

Smith is a Decatur, Georgia, native who played five seasons of college basketball from 2020-25. In his final season, under Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame head coach Rick Pitino, Smith averaged 9.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 30 appearances.

However, he battled through lingering shoulder and neck injuries throughout his senior season, which led to him missing out on playing time and starting minutes. Despite his absence, he was still able to help St. John’s win its first Big East Tournament championship since 2000 by defeating the Creighton Blue Jays 82-66 in the tournament final on March 15.

Smith declared for the 2025 NBA Draft on April 24 but did not hear his name called during either Day 1 (Wednesday) or Day 2 (Thursday). However, he ultimately signed with the Hawks on a summer league contract that could help him make the team’s final roster.

Source: St John’s PG Deivon Smith has agreed to play in summer league with the Hawks. #sjubb

— Zach Braziller (@NYPost_Brazille) June 28, 2025

Smith is a talented scorer and facilitator, which could help the Hawks improve their offense and win games throughout the summer league. Meanwhile, Atlanta selected forward Asa Newell from the Georgia Bulldogs with the No. 23 overall pick.

They selected Newell after trading the No. 13 pick to the New Orleans Pelicans, who selected former Maryland Terrapins center Derik Queen. However, Atlanta received an unprotected first-round pick from the trade, which is considered highly valuable since it could become a pick in the top five of the 2026 draft, depending on how the Pelicans perform next season.

But now, with Smith added to the Hawks’ summer league roster, they could perform well and help him develop into a key part of their team.

Related: Ian Jackson Shares Advice From Donovan Mitchell Heading Into First Season at St. John’s

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.