Atlanta Hawks Blog – Page 30 – NBA Blog

Hawks promote Jeff Peterson to assistant general manager

The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club on Thursday promoted Jeff Peterson to assistant general manager, according to General Manager Wes Wilcox. In this role, Peterson will be involved in all areas of day-to-day team management, while continuing to oversee the Hawks scouting process.

“Jeff has been an integral part of our front office over the past few seasons. In that time, he has demonstrated the ability to identify players who fit our culture and system; build meaningful relationship across the world of basketball; while continuing to learn the complexities of team-building in the NBA,” Wilcox said. “Jeff has a bright future in the NBA and we would like to congratulate Jeff on this opportunity.”

Peterson was promoted by the Hawks Director of Scouting before the start of the 2015-16 season. Prior to that, he served as a Scout and Coordinator of Basketball Operations for the team.

Peterson, who joined the Hawks as a seasonal assistant in 2012, finished his collegiate playing career at Florida State.

Kent Bazemore hopes to stick with Hawks

Small forward Kent Bazemore averaged 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 27.8 minutes per game for the Hawks this regular season. He started 68 of the 75 games he played in. Will Bazemore remain on the squad? Here’s the Atlanta Journal Constitution reporting:

In 2013, the Hawks signed [DeMarre] Carroll to a $5 million contract. He started at small forward for two seasons before leaving last summer to play for the Raptors on a four-year, $60 million deal.

In 2014, the Hawks signed [Kent] Bazemore to a $4 million contract. He replaced Carroll in the starting lineup this season. Now, he enters unrestricted free agency.

According to the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, players who sign contracts for less than four years are not eligible for extensions. They must enter free agency at the conclusion of their deal. Last summer, Paul Millsap and Carroll both were unrestricted. Millsap returned and Carroll left.

“I would love to return here,” Bazemore said this week during an exit interview following the Hawks’ playoff loss to the Cavaliers. “I think the past two years I’ve taken a tremendous leap. Not only my professional year but personally. I’m growing more into myself and figuring out life. This place as a special place in my heart. I grew up right up the street in North Carolina. Super close to home. Not close enough. Has its perks here. The weather is great. Golf is great. God is great.”

Kris Humphries will likely have role in Hawks-Cavs series

Kris Humphries will likely play a role in the Atlanta Hawks’ Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to ATL coach Mike Budenholzer.

The late-season acquisition appeared in just one of the Hawks’ six playoff games against the Celtics in the first round. The center played 8:48 in a Game 5 blowout win, entering in the fourth quarter with the Hawks leading by 29 points. Budenholzer chose to use a combination of Mike Muscala and Mike Scott to combat the smaller and quicker lineup the Celtics used in the series. Humphries had five DNP-CDs.

— Atlanta Journal Constitution

Paul Millsap, Karl-Anthony Towns named NBA Players of Week

Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap and Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns today were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, April 4 through Sunday, April 10.

Millsap helped the Hawks to a 3-0 week, which included wins over the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics. He averaged 19.0 points, led the league in both rebounds (15.7 rpg) and blocks (4.33 bpg), and posted point-rebound double-doubles in all three contests. On April 9, Millsap’s 31-point, 16-rebound, five-block performance lifted Atlanta to a 118-107 win over Boston and moved the Hawks one game ahead of the Celtics for the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Karl-Anthony Towns wins nba player of week

Towns led the Timberwolves to a 3-0 week, which included wins over the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers. He averaged 21.3 points (seventh in the Western Conference), 10.3 rebounds (tied-sixth) and 1.67 blocks (tied-sixth). On April 9, Towns made the game-winning shot with 1.8 seconds remaining during the Timberwolves’ 106-105 win over the Trail Blazers.

Other nominees for the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Atlanta’s Jeff Teague, Detroit’s Reggie Jackson, Golden State’s Stephen Curry and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Jamal Crawford.

Paul Millsap gets stitches for cut on head

The Atlanta Hawks are 44-30 this season, which is the third best record in the Eastern conference — though the Boston Celtics are only half a game behind them. Their best player this season has been power forward Paul Millsap, who caught a shot to his head but will keep on playing. Here’s the Atlanta Journal Constitution reporting:

Atlanta Hawks power forward Paul Millsap sported a big bandage over his left eye.

It was the protective covering for a cut that required 10 stitches to close, sustained in Saturday night’s win over the Pistons. The injury won’t force him to miss Monday night’s game against the Bulls.

“It was just a head bump,” Millsap said Monday morning at Hawks shootaround. “Hurts like hell. It wouldn’t affect me at all. … Everything is good to go.”

Hawks sign Kris Humphries

The Atlanta Hawks have signed forward Kris Humphries, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach Mike Budenholzer.

“As we explored opportunities to add to our team after the trade deadline, we felt it was important to prioritize experience and versatility,” Budenholzer said. “Kris is a versatile veteran with playoff experience who fits well with our group and within our system. We are fortunate to have Kris join our team and would like to welcome him to the Hawks family.”

Humphries, in his 12th NBA season, has recorded career regular season averages of 6.9 points and 5.6 rebounds in 18.3 minutes (.466 FG%, .696 FT%) in 723 games (199 starts) with Utah, Toronto, Dallas, Brooklyn, Boston, Washington and Phoenix.

He was originally selected in the first round (14th overall) of the 2004 NBA Draft by the Jazz following his freshman season at the University of Minnesota.

He will wear uniform no. 43.

Hawks hope to add player by Tuesday

The Atlanta Hawks are 32-27 this season and were getting 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 16.1 minutes per game from center Tiago Splitter, who is done for the season. Those stats might not sound like much, but as a backup he still did fill a need in the rotation. Here’s the Atlanta Journal Constitution with more:

A ‘vacancy’ sign still hangs outside Philips Arena.

Nine days after the Hawks created a roster spot at the NBA trade deadline, they have yet to fill the opening. Team management deemed it necessary to be able to add a player for the stretch run after the season-ending surgery to Tiago Splitter. They made runs at Anderson Varejao and Joe Johnson after they were waived but each chose other teams.

The Hawks are currently concentrating on the buyout market to add a veteran player because an important deadline looms. With the trade deadline passed, March 1 is the last day a players who is waived is eligible for the playoffs. Players can still be signed after Tuesday, however they can’t play in the postseason.

Sixers reportedly tried to trade for Dennis Schroder

Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer reporting on what the 76ers had hoped to accomplish as last Thursday’s NBA trade deadline passed:

The 76ers were prepared to make major changes to their roster to get a coveted point guard at Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.

The team offered packages that included some combination of shooting guard Nik Stauskas, point guard Ish Smith, a player with an expiring guaranteed contract and a 2016 first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for point guard Dennis Schroder, according to multiple league sources.

Former Sixer JaKarr Sampson was said to be player with the expiring contract in the deal. According to NBA rules, Smith could not have been part of a multi-player deal since he had been acquired by the Sixers fewer than 60 days before. But he could have been traded alone in a second deal.

Three-team NBA trade sends Shelvin Mack to Jazz, Kirk Hinrich to Hawks

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has acquired guard Shelvin Mack from the Atlanta Hawks, pending the outcome of a physical, as part of a three-team trade with the Hawks and Chicago Bulls. As part of the deal, the Jazz traded a future second-round pick to the Bulls, who also received guard Justin Holliday from Atlanta while sending the Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich.

Mack (6-3, 203, Butler) has appeared in 24 games for the Hawks this season, averaging 3.9 points and 1.6 assists in 7.5 minutes of action.

Originally selected in the second round (34th overall selection) of the 2011 NBA Draft by Washington, the 25-year-old has appeared in 247 career games (14 starts) over five seasons with Washington, Philadelphia and Atlanta, and owns career averages of 5.3 points, 2.7 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 15.0 minutes. He has also appeared in a total of 21 playoffs games over the last three seasons, averaging 5.0 points, 2.0 assists and 1.5 rebounds, including 10.0 points, 1.7 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 21.7 minutes during the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals.

Prior to the NBA, Mack played three seasons at Butler University (2008-11), helping the Bulldogs to the Championship game in each of his final two seasons, and was selected to the All-Tournament Team at the 2011 Final Four. For his collegiate career, Mack appeared in 108 games and averaged 14.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists while helping Butler to an 87-21 record in those games. During his first two seasons at Butler, Mack teamed with current Jazzman Gordon Hayward, as the pair led Butler to the school’s first ever Final Four and an appearance in the 2010 title game.

A native of Lexington, Ky., Mack was also chosen to the 2010 USA Select Team which helped Team USA prepare for the FIBA World Championship, and was captain of the gold medal-winning USA U19 World Championship team during the summer of 2009.

Tiago Splitter will undergo season-ending hip surgery

After seeing multiple specialists to determine the best course of treatment for his right hip pain, Atlanta Hawks center Tiago Splitter has elected to have surgery to repair his right hip. Splitter will miss the remainder of the 2015-16 season, including the 2016 NBA Playoffs.

The timing of the procedure is being finalized and his status will be updated once complete