UNC Basketball: Brady Manek signs with Atlanta

Brady Manek will give his NBA dreams another shot.

The former UNC stand-out and Final Four hero has returned from Australia and Turkey where he played last season after not making the Charlotte Hornets final roster in 2022. He will play in the NBA 2K24 Summer League 2023 in Las Vegas.

The Hawks Summer League team begins play on Friday July 7 against the Sacramento Kings. That game can be watched on NBA TV at 7:30pm EST. He’ll have a chance to play in four pool games minimum, before going into a playoff format.

Similar to his tenure at Chapel Hill, Manek did not fly out of the blocks in Australia. He struggled initially in Perth, averaging just 8.4 ppg in his first eight games for the Wildcats. He eventually got into his groove, with a season-high, 25-points explosion against the Adelaide 36ers, finishing the season with a 13.1 ppg average, and eight more 20+ point performances in a 30-game season.

He also showed that he was more than a 3-point threat:

After the NBL season, Manek went to Turkey to finish the Basketball Super League season with Tofaş Spor Kulübü in Turkey. He averaged 15.4 ppg with Tofaş, on 34.3% 3PT shooting. Manek showed a mature, well-rounded game during his brief tenure in Turkey...

... but his calling card will still be his shooting and size. He has good size for a stretch-four, but just lacks the necessary athleticism and speed to be a defensive presence in the NBA. Hopefully in his year overseas, he’s picked up enough tricks to stick on the Atlanta roster and give himself time to set roots in the best league in the world.

If not, he will have no shortage of suitors overseas, and he should be very well for himself wherever he ends up. After all, more people around the world need to learn how to properly yell #BBMF when blowing up their biggest rivals.