Category: Atlanta Hawks Blog

Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, who left last night’s game at Washington during the second quarter following a left wrist injury, underwent an X-ray last night in Washington and an MRI this morning in Boston. He has been diagnosed with a left distal radius fracture.

He will be re-evaluated in three-to-four weeks

The Atlanta Hawks yesterday exercised the fourth-year (2024-25) contract option on forward Jalen Johnson and the third-year (2024-25) option on guard AJ Griffin.

Johnson, the 20th overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Hawks, has appeared in 92 career games (six starts) tallying 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 12.6 minutes (.496 FG%, .635 FT%). He has also appeared in eight playoff contests across two postseason runs with Atlanta, recording 3.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 8.1 minutes.

He saw action in 70 games (six starts) during the 2022-23 season, registering 5.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 14.9 minutes of play (.491 FG%, .628 FT%).

In his first career start on Dec. 2, 2022, against the Denver Nuggets, Johnson recorded his first career double-double, finishing with 10 points on 5-9 shooting from the field, 10 rebounds, four assists and one block in 33 minutes. He became the first Hawk to notch a point/rebound double-double in his first start with the club since John Collins did so on Nov. 22, 2017.

Griffin was selected by the Hawks with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The second-year guard saw action in 72 games (12 starts) during his rookie campaign, notching 8.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 19.5 minutes (.465 FG%, .390 3FG%, .894 FT%). Griffin’s .390 mark from three-point range marked the second-highest clip amongst his rookie class (using same qualifiers for regular season leaders).

Named a 2023 Jordan Rising Star, Griffin connected on 101 total three-pointers during the 2022-23 season, the fifth-most by a member of his rookie class and the fourth-most by a Hawks rookie since the adoption of the three-point line. Griffin knocked down his 100th career triple in a win against Washington on April 5, 2023. At 19 years, 223 days, he became the third-youngest player in NBA history to bury 100 three-pointers, trailing only Kobe Bryant (19 years, 176 days) and Kevin Knox II (19 years, 218 days).

Griffin knocked down two buzzer-beating, game-winning shots during the 2022-23 campaign: Nov. 19 vs. Toronto and Dec. 11 vs. Chicago. Per Elias Sports, the 6-6 guard became the first Hawk over the last 25 seasons to have multiple buzzer-beating, game-winning shots in the same season.

The Atlanta Hawks have waived guard David Singleton.

— INSIDE HOOPS – NBA Basketball (@InsideHoops) October 14, 2023

The Atlanta Hawks have signed guard Brandon Randolph.

Over the course of his three-year NBA G League career, Randolph has played in 61 games (29 starts), donning the uniforms of the Austin Spurs (2022-23) and Wisconsin Herd (2019–20, 2021-23). In 18.7 minutes per game, he averages 11.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists (.497 FG%,.343 3FG%, and.747 FT%). Randolph recorded 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.0 steal in 27.7 minutes in 43 games (28 starts) in the 2022–23 season (.505 FG%,.351 3FG%,.788 FT%).

Summer League 2023 viewers saw the Yonkers, New York native play in five games (two starts) with the Dallas Mavericks, recording 8.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 17.6 minutes of action.

Randolph, a 6-6 guard, spent two collegiate seasons at Arizona, appearing in 63 games (35 starts), scoring 8.2 points, and grabbing 2.1 rebounds in 20.4 minutes.

The Atlanta Hawks have requested waivers on guards Jarkel Joiner and Keaton Wallace.

Joiner and Wallace were signed by the Hawks on Sept. 29, 2023.

NBA preseason began a few days ago. The first Atlanta Hawks preseason game is Tuesday, at home against Cavaliers.

The Atlanta Hawks have signed guards Jarkel Joiner and Keaton Wallace.

Joiner appeared in four games with the Hawks during the NBA 2K24 Summer League 2023 in Las Vegas, registering 4.3 points and 1.3 rebounds in 12.0 minutes.

Throughout his six-year collegiate career, Joiner suited up for NC State (2022-23), Ole Miss (2019-22, redshirt in 2019-20) and Cal State Bakersfield (2017-19). He appeared in 148 contests (136 starts), owning averages of 13.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal in 31.7 minutes of action (.417 FG%, .330 3FG%, .828 FT%).

During the 2022-23 season, the 6-1 guard saw action in 34 games (all starts) as a member of the Wolfpack, tallying career highs in points per game (17.0), rebounds per game (4.8), assists per game (3.6), steals per game (1.3) and minutes per game (35.9). His 17.0 points per game ranked fourth in the ACC, while his 35.9 minutes per game ranked third. Joiner was named to the ACC All-Second Team, leading NC State to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018.

Wallace appeared in 49 total games (48 starts) with the Ontario Clippers during the 2022-23 NBA G League season (regular season and Showcase Cup), notching 13.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.7 steals in 32.6 minutes per game (.463 FG%, .382 3FG%, .745 FT%). He put in 30-or-more points three times during the 2022-23 campaign, including a career-best 39 points on 16-22 shooting from the floor and a 7-8 mark from deep in a win over the Motor City Cruise on Jan. 15, 2023.

The 6-3 guard signed a two-way contract with the LA Clippers on Feb. 21, 2023. He did not appear in any games with the Clippers and was waived on March 1. Wallace saw action in three games with the Clippers during the NBA 2K24 Summer League 2023 in Las Vegas, recording 7.0 points, 1.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steal in 16.1 minutes (.400 FG%, .300 3FG%, 1.000 FT%).

Wallace has appeared in 93 total games (79 starts) across two NBA G League seasons, owning averages of 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 31.2 minutes (.460 FG%, .382 3FG%, .773 FT%).

The Dallas, Texas, native appeared in 125 games (110 starts) contests throughout a four-year collegiate career at the University of Texas at San Antonio, registering 16.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.6 minutes of play (.401 FG%, .351 3FG%, .806 FT%). Wallace earned Second Team All-CUSA in three consecutive seasons (2018-21) and was named to the CUSA All-Freshman Team during the 2017-18 campaign.

The Atlanta Hawks have signed forward Chris Silva.

Silva has appeared in 70 regular season games across four NBA seasons with Miami, Sacramento, Minnesota and Dallas, owning averages of 2.8 points and 2.7 rebounds in 7.6 minutes (.609 FG%, .707 FT%).

The 6-8 forward spent the 2022-23 NBA G League season with the College Park Skyhawks, appearing in 40 games (39 starts), tallying 14.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 blocks in 25.7 minutes (.553 FG%, .500 3FG%, .748 FT%). He signed two 10-day contracts with the Dallas Mavericks (Jan. 31, 2023 and Feb. 10, 2023), seeing action in one game.

A native of Gabon, Silva played four seasons at University of South Carolina, where he averaged 11.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 21.7 minutes, appearing in 134 games (108 starts). In 2017, he helped the Gamecocks advance to the Final Four for the first time in school history.

The Atlanta Hawks have signed guard Trent Forrest to a two-way contract.

Forrest spent last season as a two-way player with the Hawks, appearing in 23 games (three starts) and averaging 2.3 points, 1.7 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 12.0 minutes.

In his three-year career (including time with Utah from 2020-22), the 6-4 guard has averaged 3.0 points, 1.7 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 11.9 minutes, playing in 113 games (nine starting assignments).

After going undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft, Forrest signed a two-way contract with the Jazz prior to the start of the 2020-21 season, and then again before the 2021-22 campaign. He signed a standard NBA contract on April 10, 2022.

A product of Florda State, Forrest appeared in 137 games (69 starts) over his four-year collegiate career, tallying 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals in 25.4 minutes (.462 FG%, .748 FT%). He finished his Seminole career as the all-time winningest player in program history with 104 wins, ranked third in total steals (224) and games played (137), while ranking fifth in total assists (455) and 10th in free throws made (336). The Chipley, Florida, native was selected to the 2019-20 All-ACC Second Team and All-ACC Defensive Team, while garnering All-ACC Academic Team honors in each year at Florida State (2017-20).

The Atlanta Hawks today announced several additions within the Athletic Performance Team, including Director of Integrative Health Ray Chow, Head Strength & Conditioning Coach Paddy Hogben, Upper Extremity Specialist Mojca “Mo” Herman, Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach Isaiah West, Assistant Physical Therapist Javan Francis and Performance Coach, Basketball Systems Nick Gibson. Director of Athletic Training Scottie Parker enters his 10th season with the organization, Assistant Athletic Trainer John Dusel returns for his sixth season, and Assistant Athletic Trainer Takahiro Uchida begins his fourth season.

Chow comes to Atlanta following 27 years as a massage therapist and assistant athletic trainer with the Toronto Raptors, where he also assisted with player strength and conditioning as well as nutrition. He served under every team president and general manager in Raptors history, including during the franchise’s 2019 NBA Championship season. A native of Myanmar, Chow graduated from the University of Toronto with a Master’s in Molecular Biology and from the Sutherland-Chan School of Massage Therapy.

Parker came to the Hawks as assistant athletic trainer in 2014 before he was named head athletic trainer in 2017. Prior to joining the Hawks, Parker worked with the Seattle Seahawks, where he was part of the athletic training staff for the 2014 Super Bowl champions. Parker is a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) by the National Athletic Trainers Association, and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He graduated from University of Northwestern – St. Paul (MN) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology and a minor in Coaching. He earned his Master’s from California Baptist University in Athletic Training.

Hogben, originally from England, served as lead athletic development coach with the Geelong Football Club (Australian rules football) since 2020 after two years as lead performance specialist with P3 Peak Performance Project. He also has experience in professional rugby as strength and conditioning coach with Saracens RFC, Bedford Blues and with Bath Rugby. Hogben is a graduate of the University of Bath with a degree in Sports and Exercise Science and holds a Master’s from the University of Bedfordshire.

Herman has worked in private practice and sports medicine for the past 20 years. For the last four years, she has owned and operated Pro Rehab with MO, specializing exclusively in elite and professional athletes. Herman has been a therapist consultant to NBA athletes since 2008. She is the past president of the American Society of Hand Therapists and a former elite collegiate and Olympic swimmer. Herman is a Certified Hand Therapist who graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science and Master’s of Arts, both in Occupational Therapy.

Dusel originally joined the Hawks in 2018 following two seasons with the Golden State Warriors, finishing as the team’s assistant athletic trainer. He also has experience with Cressey Sports Performance. Dusel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training from the University of New England and a Master’s from East Tennessee State University in Sport Science.

Uchida, a native of Japan, came to the Hawks as a seasonal assistant athletic trainer in 2020 before a promotion to assistant athletic trainer in 2021. He has prior experience with the Los Angeles Rams, Stanford University and University of Hawaii at Manoa. Uchida owns a Bachelor of Science from Lindenwood University and a Master’s in Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science from University of Hawaii at Manoa.

West joins the Hawks from NBA Academy Africa (Senegal), where he served as athletic performance coach for the last three years. West previously worked for Healthy Baller Speed and Performance Center, The St. James, Cressey Sports Performance and the Washington Mystics. West earned a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from George Mason University.

Francis has worked the last four years at P3 Peak Performance Project as a sports biomechanist. From 2021-23, he also served as a graduate research assistant at the Georgia State University Biomechanics Laboratory. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Sport and Fitness Administration/Management from Claflin University, Francis moved onto Georgia State, earning a Master of Science in Kinesiology and Exercise Science, and a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.

Gibson rejoins the Hawks, where he was basketball operations coordinator from 2013-15. Most recently, he’s worked as director of basketball at P3 Sport Science in Atlanta for the last three years. Prior to that, he coached internationally with the Sichuan Blue Whales and Shenzhen Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association. Gibson also served as player development director for the Tunisian National Team during the 2021 Olympic Qualifiers and AfroBasket, where Tunisia took home the Gold Medal. Gibson is a graduate of Syracuse University with a Bachelor’s in Broadcast and Digital Journalism.