Category: Atlanta Hawks Blog

Atlanta Hawks blog

Hawks and Danilo Gallinari agree to a contract

Trae Young is getting some scoring help. A forward who gets buckets will be leaving Oklahoma City and heading to Atlanta. Here’s the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on the news:

The Hawks are finalizing a deal with unrestricted free agent Danilo Gallinari, the AJC has confirmed.

Gallinari, 32, averaged 18.7 points and 5.2 rebounds with the Thunder last season and shot 40.5% from 3-point range. The Hawks were the worst 3-point shooting team in the league last season (33.3%), and it’s one of the major problems they needed to address heading into 2020-21.

The move greatly bolsters the Hawks’ offense as they aim to go from a 20-47 team to the playoffs the very next season. Gallinari, a forward, also brings significant experience to a young roster. This will be his 13th season in the NBA, and he started 62 games and was a major contributor for a Thunder team that took the Rockets to seven games before falling just short in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. ESPN first reported the three-year, $61.5 million contract.

Pistons trade Tony Snell and Khyri Thomas to Hawks for Dewayne Dedmon

In a trade today, the Atlanta Hawks have acquired guards Tony Snell and Khyri Thomas from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for center Dewayne Dedmon.

In a subsequent move, the Hawks waived Thomas.

Snell, originally the 20th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, has averaged 6.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 22.5 minutes (.428 FG%, .385 3FG%, .838 FT%) in 501 career games (275 starts) with Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit. In 38 playoff contests (eight starts), he’s averaged 3.4 points and 1.4 rebounds in 14.0 minutes.

Last season in 59 games (57 starts) with the Pistons, the 6-foot-6 Snell averaged 8.0 points, 2.2 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 27.8 minutes (.445 FG%, .402 3FG%, 32-32 FTs), ranking tied for 24th in the NBA in three-point percentage.

In two seasons with the Pistons, Thomas has played in 34 games, averaging 2.3 points. He’s also appeared in three postseason contests. Thomas was originally a second-round pick of the Philadelphia 76ers (38th overall) in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Dedmon was re-acquired by the Hawks from the Sacramento Kings on February 6, 2020. Last season in 10 games (eight starts) with the Hawks, he averaged 8.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals in 23.3 minutes. In 136 games (106 starts) over three seasons with Atlanta, Dedmon compiled 10.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 blocks in 24.9 minutes (.499 FG%, .358 3FG%, .802 FT%).

Hawks select Onyeka Okongwu with No. 6 pick in 2020 NBA Draft

The Atlanta Hawks selected forward/center Onyeka Okongwu (own-YEH-kuh oh-KONG-wu) from the University of Southern California with the sixth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and added guard Skylar Mays from Louisiana State University with the 50th pick.

The 6’9 Okongwu led the Trojans in points per game, rebounds per game and blocks per game in his only collegiate season, averaging 16.2 points, 8.6 boards and 2.7 blocks in 28 appearances (all starts) in 2019-20. The Chino, Ca. native earned All-Pac-12 First Team honors and was a member of the Pac-12 All-Freshman team after leading the conference in FG% (.616), ranking second in blocks and second in total offensive rebounds (92). Okongwu scored in double figures on 25 occasions and recorded 11 double-doubles, including five contests with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. He set a USC freshman record with 76 blocked shots, including a school-record tying eight rejections in his first collegiate game on 11/5/19 against Florida A&M.

“He’s an unbelievable person,” Hawks General Manager and Head of Basketball Operations Travis Schlenk said about Okongwu. “Since I’ve been here, we’ve said, ‘character is at the top of our list,’ and he certainly checks that box in a big way. Secondly, going to on-floor, he’s a very, very good defensive basketball player. He can protect the rim, he can rebound and he’s a very good pick-and-roll center with very good instincts. Offensively, he’s got unbelievable hands. He catches everything. He’s got the seven-foot wingspan and he can run the floor. So, we’re really excited about him.”

Mays, a 6’4 guard, averaged 16.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals in 31 games (all starts) en route to an All-SEC First Team selection as a senior in 2019-20. A native of Baton Rouge, La., Mays became the first player in LSU history to record at least 1,600 points, 400 rebounds, 300 assists and 200 steals.

“We had Skylar ranked a lot higher (than No. 50),” Schlenk said of Mays. “A four-year guy, an extremely smart basketball player, a very good body, a combo guard, a high basketball IQ, skilled player. We were excited when he was there because, like I said, we had him ranked much higher than that.”

A summa cum laude graduate with a degree in kinesiology, Mays was the 2019-20 COSIDA Academic All-American Player of the Year, a three-time Academic All-American and a two-time SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Atlanta Hawks hire Nate McMillan as Assistant Coach

The Atlanta Hawks today announced the hiring of Nate McMillan as an Assistant Coach on Head Coach Lloyd Pierce’s staff.

McMillan, former Head Coach with Seattle (2000-05), Portland (2005-12) and Indiana (2016-20), has led his teams to a 661-588 (.529) mark in 1,249 career regular season games, and has 53 games of postseason coaching experience. Last season, the Pacers finished 45-28 (.616), second in the Central Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference. In his four years with Indiana, the club recorded a 183-136 mark (.574), advancing to the playoffs each season.

“I reached out to Nate after he became available and we’ve had extensive conversations centering around the value, expertise and experience he would add as we look to progress next season. This is a unique opportunity that will benefit me, our coaching staff and our entire roster,” said Hawks Head Coach Lloyd Pierce.

“In his 16 years as a successful NBA head coach, his teams have emulated his playing style and personality. They’ve always been disciplined, competitive, played together and won at a high level. I have great respect for Nate as a man and as a coach, and I feel fortunate to welcome him to our staff and to the Hawks.”

After playing collegiately at North Carolina State, McMillan was drafted 30th overall by Seattle in the 1986 NBA Draft, spending his entire NBA career with the Sonics before having his number (10) retired. He ranks second in franchise history in assists and steals, and ranks in the Top 10 in several other categories. He was twice named to the NBA’s All-Defensive team (1994 and 1995), leading the league in steals in 1994-95 (2.96 spg). He reached the postseason 11 times in his 12 seasons.

He was named Seattle’s interim Head Coach in 2000, eventually becoming the team’s permanent Head Coach until 2005, when he took over in Portland. He recorded a 212-183 mark (.537) with the Sonics and a 266-269 record (.497) with the Blazers, reaching the postseason in his final three full seasons in Portland.

McMillan has also served as an Assistant Coach on the U.S. National Team, where he earned gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, as well as the 2006 FIBA World Championships.

Atlanta Hawks hire Landry Fields as Assistant General Manager

The Atlanta Hawks hire Landry Fields today, naming him Assistant General Manager. In his role, Fields will work in all areas of basketball operations with a specific focus on bolstering player relations, scouting and strategic planning.

Fields, 32, joins the Hawks after four seasons as part of the San Antonio Spurs franchise. Last season, he was promoted to General Manager of the Spurs G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, after working three seasons as a college scout. The Austin Spurs held a 24-18 record (.571) at the stoppage of the 2019-20 season and played an integral role in providing development opportunities to recent San Antonio draft picks.

The 39th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Fields played five seasons in the NBA, averaging 6.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 23.6 minutes over 255 career games with the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors. He was named an All-Rookie First Team selection in 2011 and participated in the Rising Stars Challenge game during All-Star Weekend in both his rookie and second seasons.

“Landry has quickly risen through the ranks, bringing a unique combination of playing experience, sharp eye for player development and strong skills as a communicator,” Hawks President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Travis Schlenk said. “He will be a welcome addition to our group.”

As a rookie with the Knicks in 2010-11, Fields started 81 of 82 games, averaging 9.7 points on .497 shooting (.393 from three-point range), 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 31.0 minutes per game. He followed his rookie season with averages of 8.8 points on .460 shooting, 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 28.7 minutes in 66 games (62 starts) played during the lockout-shortened season. He played his final three seasons with the Toronto Raptors where he was limited to 107 games (33 starts) due to injuries.

Fields played four years at Stanford University (2006-10), where he earned a degree in communications. As a senior, he led the Pac-10 in scoring and rebounding (22.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per game) while earning USBWA All-District IX Team and first-team NABC Division I All-District 20 honors in addition to being named the Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Atlanta Hawks mini-bubble begins

While most of the league was included in the NBA restart at Disney in Florida, eight teams that had no shot at the playoffs were not. Here’s the Atlanta Journal Constitution with an update on some Hawks team activity:

The Hawks will stay in a hotel for these next two weeks and go back and forth from their practice facility. For the next two days, players (who can opt out, if they so choose, since participation is voluntary) and staff will be quarantining in their hotel rooms and receiving coronavirus testing, and after two negative tests, can participate in group workouts (which includes one hour of 5-on-5 per day) as of Wednesday. When inside, players and staff must wear masks when not actively eating/drinking or engaging in physical activity, and there will be daily coronavirus testing and strict hygiene guidelines.

As one of eight teams excluded from the Orlando restart, the Hawks were hoping much more team activity would be allowed, but no such luck. Because their time together as a team is so limited, focusing too heavily on X’s and O’s would be fruitless, especially considering players have to ease into more strenuous scrimmaging to avoid injury.

So the Hawks will use this time to incorporate a healthy Clint Capela into the mix, enjoy some team-bonding and socializing and just simply get up and down the court together as a team for the first time since March (the NBA season originally halted March 11 due to the coronavirus).

In G League news, Tori Miller named General Manager of College Park Skyhawks

The Atlanta Hawks and their NBA G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, today announced multiple promotions and a hire within the Basketball Operations group, including the promotion of Tori Miller to General Manager of the Skyhawks. Miller’s promotion establishes her as the first woman to hold the title of General Manager in the history of the NBA G League. Former Skyhawks General Manager Derek Pierce will continue to oversee Atlanta’s scouting department in his role as Vice President of Player Personnel for the Hawks.

In addition to Miller’s announcement, Atlanta has promoted Dwight Lutz to Senior Director of Basketball Strategy and Analytics, Zac Walsh to Director of Team Operations and Max Horowitz to Senior Data Scientist. The Hawks also announced the hiring of Justin Howe as Assistant Athletic Trainer/Physical Therapist.

Miller, who was named Assistant General Manager of the Skyhawks on July 30, 2019, began her tenure with the organization as Manager of Basketball Operations three seasons ago with the Erie BayHawks. A native of Decatur, GA, Miller is a University of Miami graduate and spent time as a Basketball Operations Intern for the Phoenix Suns prior to her time in the G League.

Lutz finished his second season as Atlanta’s Director of Basketball Strategy and Analytics in 2019-20. He joined the Hawks following an 18-month stint as a Basketball Operations Analyst for the Minnesota Timberwolves and a four-year stay with the NBA where he served as Senior Manager of Game Analytics and Strategy. Lutz played four years of basketball while earning a degree in Mathematics from Trinity University before receiving a graduate degree in statistics from the University of Florida.

Walsh has been with the Hawks since 2002, holding the successive titles of Basketball Operations Intern, Equipment Manager, and Travel and Equipment Manager prior to earning a promotion to Director of Team Operations. The Atlanta native received the David “D.H.” Nordstrom Equipment Manager of the Year award in 2014 from the National Basketball Athletic Equipment Managers Association. Walsh earned a Business Management degree from Georgia Tech.

Horowitz served as a Data Scientist for the Hawks during the two most recent seasons prior to earning a promotion to Senior Data Scientist. The New York City native attended Carnegie Mellon University where he graduated with a degree in Economics and Statistics. He joined the Hawks after working first as a Specialist and then as a Basketball Strategy Senior Analyst for the NBA from June 2016 until October 2018.

Howe joins the Hawks in a full-time capacity after working with the Hawks’ Athletic Performance and Sports Medicine team in a part-time role in 2019-20. He attended Sheridan College and earned an undergraduate degree in Athletic Therapy before receiving a graduate degree in Sports Medicine and a doctorate degree in Physical Therapy from Georgia State University.

Atlanta Hawks statement on the retirement of Vince Carter

“Over the last two years, Vince Carter has been a committed leader, respected mentor and influential example on the court, in the locker room and in the Atlanta community. Throughout his historic 22-year journey covering an unprecedented four different decades, his evolving career arc was perhaps like none other in league history – from Top 5 Draft Pick to Rookie of the Year to Slam Dunk Champion to superstar and eight-time All-Star to Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year and valuable role player. It’s an honor to the Hawks organization that he completed his Hall-of-Fame career wearing Atlanta across his chest and representing our city.” — Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Hawks designate Juneteenth as a permanent holiday

The Atlanta Hawks will now designate Juneteenth as a permanent paid company holiday for all its employees. The decision comes as many organizations are identifying specific ways to thoughtfully recognize and honor the full experience of African Americans in the shadow of the country’s on-going racial tensions.

According to juneteenth.com, this holiday is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19 that the Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. This was more than two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery on January 1, 1863.

“I am proud of the decision our organization has made to recognize Juneteenth as a company holiday this year and going forward,” said Camye Mackey, Chief People, Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena. “This is one of many steps we’ll take to support the positive change we need to see in society.”

Atlanta Hawks statement on NBA return to play plan

STATEMENT FROM THE ATLANTA HAWKS

Yesterday the NBA announced a format to restart the 2019-20 season with 22 teams participating. This certainly wasn’t how we hoped our season would come to an end, and it’s fair to say that we are disappointed that our young team will not be allowed to gain more valuable time playing together by being included in the restart of the season. With that said, we understand and respect the countless difficult factors that entered into this decision for the league, and we realize that there are much more important things taking place in our community right now that deserve our attention.

We would like to recognize and thank our players for their dedication, connectedness and patience during this unprecedented time. We saw promising growth during the season and significant improvement individually and collectively from the start of the campaign through March 11. Since that time, our players, with the support of our coaching and athletic training staffs, have been diligent and professional in staying prepared, in the hopes of having the opportunity to restart their season and finish strong.

We remain engaged in finding ways for our team to compete and continue the important growth and development that was a core focus for our team this season.