Jalen Wilson Brings NBA Experience and Versatility to Hawks

Jalen Wilson Returns to a Two-Way Contract With Atlanta After Three Years in Brooklyn

Written by Logan Dykhouse

Jalen Wilson has already made the jump from a two-way contract to a standard NBA deal once.

Now, three years after Brooklyn selected him 51st overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, the 25-year-old forward is trying to do it again with Atlanta. The Hawks signed Wilson to a two-way contract in July after the Nets declined to give him a qualifying offer, ending a Brooklyn tenure that included 176 games, 27 starts and one season as a legitimate rotation player.

Wilson is not arriving as an unknown developmental prospect. He has already played nearly 3,600 NBA minutes. The question is whether Atlanta can find a more sustainable role for a player who showed plenty of versatility in Brooklyn without ever developing one skill strong enough to secure his place in the Nets' future.

Wilson Played His Way Off a Two-Way as a Rookie

Brooklyn originally signed Wilson to a two-way contract after drafting him out of Kansas.

His role was limited early, but he gradually began earning NBA minutes. One of his first major opportunities came Dec. 27 against Milwaukee, when Wilson scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds — seven offensive — in 30 minutes.

By February, Wilson had worked his way into Brooklyn's rotation. He even started against Cleveland after the Nets' roster was depleted by trades and injuries, playing nearly 40 minutes and contributing on both ends.

Brooklyn rewarded the progress on March 1, converting his two-way contract into a three-year standard deal. Wilson finished his rookie season averaging 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds across 43 appearances, with his minutes increasing to 24.1 per game during April.

It appeared Brooklyn had found a useful rotation forward with the 51st pick.

His Summer League MVP Raised Expectations

Wilson's stock climbed even higher a few months later.

He was named MVP of the 2024 NBA Summer League after averaging 21.8 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 47.3% from the field and an incredible 55.0% from three. His 22 made three-pointers led all players in Las Vegas.

The signature performance came against Orlando. Wilson scored 33 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, shot 6-for-7 from three and finished the overtime victory with the game-winning basket.

For a second-round pick coming off a promising rookie season, it looked like another significant step forward.

Wilson Became a Full-Time Rotation Player

The Summer League production did not carry over at the same efficiency, but Wilson received the largest NBA role of his career in 2024-25.

He played 79 games, made 22 starts and averaged 25.7 minutes, 9.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Brooklyn finished only 26-56, but Wilson was one of the team's most consistently available players.

The efficiency kept the season from becoming a true breakout. Wilson shot 39.7% from the field and 33.7% from three on 4.6 attempts per game. He did not establish himself as a reliable shooter, high-level creator or impact defender.

That did not make him ineffective. Wilson consistently made useful plays through cutting, spacing, controlled drives and effort, but he still lacked an obvious high-level NBA skill.

There were still encouraging stretches. Wilson closed the regular season by making at least four three-pointers in three consecutive games, including six threes and 20 points against the team he now plays for, Atlanta.

His Role Collapsed in Year Three

Wilson entered last season needing to prove he deserved a place in Brooklyn's long-term plans.

Instead, his role moved in the opposite direction.

The Nets had added five first-round picks in the 2025 draft, giving a rebuilding organization several younger players to prioritize. Wilson fell to roughly the back end of the rotation and occasionally disappeared from it entirely.

He finished with 54 appearances and only two starts, dropping from 25.7 minutes per game to 15.9. His scoring fell to 6.4 points per game, although his three-point percentage improved slightly to 35.5%.

Wilson did receive another extended opportunity late in the season. He scored 19 points on 6-for-9 shooting against Washington on April 5, then finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists against Milwaukee five days later.

It was not enough to change Brooklyn's direction. The Nets declined to tender Wilson a qualifying offer in June, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent. Atlanta signed him to a two-way contract less than a month later.

What Wilson Can Bring to Atlanta

Versatile remains the easiest way to describe Wilson.

At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, he can play both forward spots, rebound, attack closeouts, make simple reads and provide enough shooting to keep defenses honest.

That could give him an interesting path in Atlanta.

Jalen Johnson has become the center of much of what the Hawks do at forward, averaging 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists last season. Atlanta has plenty of guards capable of creating offense, but replacing Johnson's combination of size, ball handling and playmaking would be much more difficult.

Wilson obviously cannot replicate that production. However, he gives Atlanta another forward comfortable putting the ball on the floor and operating on the perimeter. Dorian Finney-Smith is primarily an off-ball veteran, while Asa Newell, Mouhamed Gueye and rookie Zuby Ejiofor provide more size but are different offensive players.

Wilson's smaller frame could work against him in some matchups, but his perimeter comfort gives Atlanta another option when it wants a different look at the position.

He has already shown flashes in preseason, scoring 12 points twice through his first four appearances and adding eight rebounds while making four three-pointers against Oklahoma City on Monday.

Wilson Leads Atlanta's Two-Way Room

Wilson is a 5-star prospect in the Two-Way Talents player database, he joins RayJ Dennis and Keshon Gilbert in Atlanta's three two-way spots.

Dennis provides traditional point-guard play and organization, while Gilbert offers defensive activity and downhill creation. Wilson is easily the most experienced of the three, bringing 176 NBA appearances and a previous successful two-way conversion.

Atlanta is currently 19th in the Two-Way Talents team rankings, with Wilson rated as the Hawks' top two-way player.

His career has already shown both sides of the two-way pathway. Brooklyn used the contract to develop a late second-round pick into a regular NBA rotation player, but Wilson eventually lost that role as the franchise changed direction.

Atlanta now gets the opportunity to see whether there is another version of that player still there.