Atlanta Hawks Sign Former Chicago Bulls G League Standout To Exhibit 10 Contract: Why It Matters

The Atlanta Hawks have their final preseason game on Friday against the Dallas Mavericks and then their attention is going to turn to the regular season opener at the Orlando Magic next Wednesday.

One thing that the Atlanta Hawks have been busy doing is signing players to Exhibit 10 contracts and then waiving them to retain their G League rights. Atlanta waived former UVA/Louisville standout Isaac McKneely earlier this week, and he will likely be suiting up for College Park this season. Today, the Hawks front office signed former Illinois and Chicago Bulls G League standout Giorgi Bezhanishvili.

Why this matters

An NBA team can have up to six Exhibit 10 contracts and they can be converted to a two-way contract before the regular season, though I don't think that is what's going to happen here. Atlanta has a trio of talented two-way contracts, including forward Jalen Wilson, guard RayJ Dennis, and guard Keshon Gilbert. Wilson and Dennis have been standouts during the preseason.

During the 2025-2026 season with the Windy City Bulls and averaged career highs of 11.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 29.0 minutes of play. The Hawks have a lot of pride in their player development and G League program and he is going to get a chance to develop here and play with some talented players. He was not only a standout for the Bulls, but he has played in 171 G League games for four different franchises.

Bezhanishvili appeared in 95 games (57 starts) over three collegiate seasons at Illinois (2018-21), averaging 8.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in 21.4 minutes (.507 FG%).

If the Hawks elect not to play their main rotation players on Friday vs. Dallas, Bezhanishvili could see the court vs. the Mavericks, but that is far from a guarantee.

College Park has gotten a good reputation for how it has developed players, including Jalen Johnson, Vit Krejci (now with the Portland Trail Blazers), and Kobe Johnson, who will be back with College Park this season. If Bezhanishvili wants to get developed by a good coaching staff and eventually have a path to a two-way contract or even a roster spot, this is a good spot to be.

Kobe Johnson, the younger brother of Hawks star Jalen Johnson, is a perfect example of this. Johnson has grown as an offensive player and was already an All-Defense caliber of player. In under 10 minutes on Monday night against the Thunder, he scored 10 points, pulled in three rebounds, and had two steals. He is going to continue to get opportunities going forward.

Does this impact the Hawks on the court this season? No, but Bezhanishvili has talent and will be worth watching in College Park.