Category: Atlanta Hawks Blog

Atlanta Hawks blog

Hawks sign guard Trent Forrest to two-way contract

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).

Atlanta Hawks announce additions within Athletic Performance Team

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.

NBA Mexico City Game 2023: Hawks vs. Magic on November 9

The NBA Mexico City Game 2023 will feature the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic playing a regular-season game at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City on Thursday, Nov. 9. The matchup will mark the league’s 32nd game in Mexico since 1992, more than any country outside the U.S. and Canada.

The Magic, which will be playing its fourth game in Mexico since 2012, currently features 2022 No. 1 overall pick and 2022-23 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero, 2021-22 Kia NBA All-Rookie First Team member Franz Wagner, and 2017 No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz. The Hawks, who will be playing their first game in Mexico, are coming off their third consecutive playoff appearance behind two-time NBA All-Star Trae Young and 2022 NBA All-Star Dejounte Murray.

The NBA Mexico City Game 2023 will air live in Mexico on ESPN, Star+, TUDN and NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service available on the NBA App, reaching fans in more than 200 countries and territories on television, digital media and social media. In addition to The NBA Mexico City Game 2023, the league and its partners will conduct NBA Cares community outreach initiatives, Jr. NBA youth basketball development programming and interactive activities that will bring the NBA experience to fans in Mexico City.

To conclude the week-long celebration of basketball in the country, the Mexico City Capitanes will host the Osceola Magic on Friday, Nov. 10 as part of the NBA G League’s Showcase Cup schedule.

Hawks sign Wesley Matthews

The Atlanta Hawks have signed guard Wesley Matthews.

Matthews has appeared in 950 games (754 starts) throughout his 14-year career, suiting up for the Utah Jazz (2009-10), Portland Trail Blazers (2010-15), Dallas Mavericks (2015-19), New York Knicks (2018-19), Indiana Pacers (2018-19), Los Angeles Lakers (2020-21) and Milwaukee Bucks (2019-20, 2021-23). His 950 games played are the fourth-most in NBA history by an undrafted player, trailing only Moses Malone (1,329), Ben Wallace (1,088) and Avery Johnson (1,054).

The 6-4 guard owns career averages of 11.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 29.6 minutes of play (.420 FG%, .376 3FG%, .824 FT%). Matthews has connected on 1,821 three-pointers throughout his NBA career, the most triples by an undrafted player in NBA history and the 10th-most three-pointers amongst all active players.

Matthews’ father, Wes Matthews Sr., appeared in 152 games for Atlanta across five stints with the Hawks (1980-83, 1984, 1990). They become the first father/son duo to both suit up for the Hawks.

Matthews recently saw action in 52 games with the Bucks during the 2022-23 campaign, averaging 3.4 points and 2.2 rebounds in 15.7 minutes of action. He scored his 11,000th career point in a 150-130 win over the Detroit Pistons on Jan. 23, 2023. Matthews, who’s poured in 11,100 total points in his career, has the third-most points by an undrafted player in league history (Moses Malone: 27,409, David Wesley: 11,842).

The San Antonio, Texas native, who owns a career .376% clip from three-point territory, was selected to participate in the three-point contest at NBA All-Star Weekend 2015 and 2017. In his sophomore season, Matthews earned a spot in the 2011 Rising Stars Challenge.

Matthews has appeared in the NBA Playoffs in nine of his 14 seasons, including in each of the past five campaigns (since 2019). He has seen action in 66 postseason games (59 starts), tallying 9.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steals in 30.8 minutes of play (.391 FG%, .352 3FG%, .808 FT%).

The Marquette product enjoyed a four-year collegiate career, suiting up for the Golden Eagles from 2005-09, leading the team to the NCAA Tournament in each of his four seasons. He currently ranks second in program history in free throws made (549), tied sixth in games played (127) and 10th in scoring (1,673).

Hawks waive Tyrese Martin

The Atlanta Hawks have waived guard Tyrese Martin.

Martin appeared in 16 games for the Hawks during the 2022-23 season, averaging 1.3 points in 4.1 minutes per contest. He also played in 30 games (28 starts) with the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League, recording 18.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 33.0 minutes (.502 FG%, .352 3FG%, .784 FT%).

Selected 51st overall in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, Martin was acquired by the Hawks in a draft night trade.

Hawks trade John Collins to Jazz

The Atlanta Hawks have acquired forward Rudy Gay and a conditional 2026 second-round pick in a trade with the Utah Jazz for forward John Collins.

The transaction creates a $25.3 million trade exception for Atlanta, currently the largest in the NBA. The exception can be used to acquire a player(s) in subsequent trades and will expire in a year. The 2026 conditional second round pick will be sent from Memphis to the Hawks if between 31 and 42.

“Being able to create financial flexibility moving forward was a major priority for us. The added flexibility will give us greater optionality as we look at opportunities to improve our team,” said Hawks General Manager Landry Fields. “John was a key contributor our team over the past six seasons and played an instrumental role in helping us become a regular playoff contender. We would like to thank him for his professionalism and leadership over the years and we wish him the best in Utah.”

Gay, a 17-year veteran, has career averages of 15.8 points on .452 shooting, 5.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 30.9 minutes per game over 1,120 games (779 starts) with Memphis, San Antonio, Sacramento, Toronto and Utah. Last season in Utah, the 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward appeared in 56 games, averaging 5.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 14.6 minutes per game.

His 1,120 games played rank fifth among active players, while his 17,642 points rank ninth. He has appeared in 19 postseason games with averages of 14.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 32.5 minutes per game.

Collins was selected by the Hawks with the 19th overall pick in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft. In six seasons in Atlanta, the forward from Wake Forest has career averages of 15.8 points on .551 shooting, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 block in 29.2 minutes per game in 364 games (313 starts). During the 2022-23 season, he averaged 13.1 points on .508 shooting, 6.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 30.0 minutes in 71 games (all starts).

Atlanta Hawks waive two-way guard Donovan Williams

The Atlanta Hawks recently requested waivers on two-way guard Donovan Williams.

Williams saw action in two games for the Hawks during the 2022-23 season, appearing in his first career NBA contest in a win at Chicago on April 4. The UNLV product appeared in 24 games (21 starts), with the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League, tallying 12.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 28.5 minutes of action.

Williams was signed to a two-way contract by the Hawks on Jan. 17, 2023.

Former Spurs guard Dejounte Murray receives warm reception in San Antonio

Via the San Antonio Express News:

Hawks guard Dejounte Murray said he appreciated the warm reception he received in his first game back at the AT&T Center.

Murray spent his first six NBA seasons with the Spurs before being dealt to Atlanta last summer.

“I felt like it was what it should be,” said Murray, who tallied 22 points in the Hawks’ defeat. “It showed nothing but love, both sides.”

The team began the afternoon’s festivities with a video thanking Murray for his time in San Antonio.

“I’m thankful, grateful,” Murray said. “It’s family forever.”

Damon Stoudamire hired as Georgia Tech’s new basketball coach

Via the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

Georgia Tech moved quickly to chart its new course in men’s basketball. Boston Celtics assistant coach Damon Stoudamire was hired Monday as the new coach of the Yellow Jackets. Following reports of the 13-year NBA veteran emerging as a candidate in the morning, the hire was finalized in the afternoon.

The move comes three days after athletic director J Batt dismissed coach Josh Pastner after seven seasons.

“I am humbled and honored to be the head coach at Georgia Tech,” Stoudamire said in a statement. “It is an incredible honor to be entrusted with leading such a tradition-rich program. I am excited to get to work with the goal of consistently having our team compete at the championship level that we all know we can and should compete at. I’m proud to represent Georgia Tech and can’t wait to walk out of the tunnel and onto the floor at the Thrillerdome in front of our fans. Go Jackets!”

Atlanta Hawks hire Quin Snyder as new head coach

The Atlanta Hawks have hired Quin Snyder as the franchise’s 15th full-time head coach.

Snyder served as head coach of the Utah Jazz from the 2014-15 to 2021-22 seasons, accumulating a 372-264 record (.585) and leading the Jazz to the playoffs in six of his eight seasons. Over his final six seasons (2016-17 to 2021-22), the Jazz compiled a 294-178 record, the third-highest winning percentage (.623) in the NBA and best in the Western Conference over that span. Utah started the 2020-21 season with a 23-5 record, earning Snyder the honor of being named the head coach of the 2021 Western Conference All-Star Team, and finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA (52-20; .722) and the fifth-highest single-season winning percentage in Jazz history. His 372 wins are the second-most in the franchise history behind only Jerry Sloan.

Snyder finished sixth in NBA Coach of the Year voting in 2017, second in 2018, eighth in 2019 and third in 2021. He is a four-time Western Conference Coach of the Month.

Prior to joining the Jazz in 2014-15, Snyder was an assistant coach with the Hawks during the 2013-14 season on Head Coach Mike Budenholzer’s staff.

“From our first conversation, it was clear that Quin had all the characteristics we were looking for in our next head coach. He has both an incredible basketball and emotional IQ, and we share the same core values and basketball philosophies of having honest communication and collaboration with players, tremendous attention to detail and placing a great emphasis on player development,” Fields said. “We are excited to welcome him, his wife Amy and their family back to Atlanta.”

“I am thrilled to go back to Atlanta as the next head coach of the Hawks. Landry has a tremendous reputation as an incredibly bright, high character, high quality individual and it was quickly evident that we share a passion and commitment to building a winning team with a strong foundation and high standards. I am excited to collaborate with Landry to create a successful program that devoted Hawks fans are proud of and cheer for and am grateful to Tony, Jami and the Ressler family for this opportunity. My family and I are looking forward to immersing ourselves in the community and calling Atlanta home.”

Over his eight seasons with Utah, the Jazz allowed the fewest points per game (102.0) in the NBA, the fifth-lowest field goal percentage (.449) and 10th lowest three-point percentage (.355) in addition to ranking 5th in rebounding (44.9). Offensively over that span, Utah ranked 5th in three-point field goal percentage (.366) and 6th in three-point field goal attempts per game (31.5).

The Jazz reached the playoffs in six consecutive seasons, advancing to the Western Conference Semifinals on three occasions (2017, 2018 and 2021). Snyder’s teams amassed a 21-30 record (.412) in the postseason.

Prior to joining the Hawks in 2013-14, Snyder worked as an assistant coach for CKSA Moscow (2012-13), the Los Angeles Lakers (2011-12) and Philadelphia 76ers (2010-11). From 2007-10, Snyder was head coach of the Austin Toros (the NBA G League affiliate of the San Antonio Spurs), recording a 94-56 (.627) mark, while leading the Toros to three straight playoff appearances and the 2008 National Basketball Development League championship game. He was the 2008-09 D-League Coach of the Year.

Snyder began his head coaching career at the University of Missouri in 1999, where in seven seasons, he led the Tigers to a 128-96 (.571) record, and four NCAA Tournaments including an Elite Eight appearance. Prior to starting with Missouri, he served as a with assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers (1992-93) and at Duke (1995-99) under Mike Krzyzewski. The former Duke guard (1985-89) played in 136 games over four years with the Blue Devils, reaching three Final Fours, averaging 6.2 points. Snyder earned undergraduate degrees in philosophy and political science from Duke, later earning a Juris Doctor and M.B.A. from Duke as well. He is a native of Mercer Island, WA.