Atlanta Hawks Blog – Page 57 – NBA Blog

Bulls are sending Kyle Korver to Hawks

Though details had to be finalized and Kyle Korver had to pass a physical, the Bulls agreed in principle to trade the 3-point specialist to the Hawks via the Timberwolves on Friday, two sources with knowledge of the talks said.

There were late indications the three-team deal could fall apart, though that didn’t stop Korver from scheduling a flight from his offseason training base in California to Atlanta for the physical, the sources said.

The deal would take the Bulls off the hook for the $500,000 guarantee of Korver’s $5 million non-guaranteed salary for 2012-13 and slide him into the Hawks’ traded-player exception, acquired in the Joe Johnson deal with the Nets.

— Reported by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune

Atlanta Hawks sign Lou Williams

The Atlanta Hawks have signed veteran guard Lou Williams to a multi-year contract, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/GM Danny Ferry. Per club policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

“Upon learning of his situation, Lou was a player we really targeted for our club,” said Ferry. “He’s a young and experienced professional who is capable of providing leadership as a starter or a reserve, and his versatility is a tremendous plus for our backcourt.”

The 25-year-old Williams, is a 6-1 veteran who comes to Atlanta following seven seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, and he has emerged as one of the best sixth men in the NBA. He brings career averages of 11.3 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 rebounds in 455 games to the Hawks (.421 FG%, .337 3FG%, .798 FT%).

A hometown product who played his high school ball at South Gwinnett High School in Snellville, GA, Williams was selected by the Sixers in the second-round of the 2005 NBA Draft. The 45th pick overall, he was the recipient of the 2005 Naismith Award, signifying the nation’s top high school player and took home top honors in the state of Georgia (“Mr. Basketball”) after his junior and senior seasons. Named to the 2005 McDonald’s High School All-America team, Williams was a four-time All-State player at South Gwinnett and led the Comets to a 103-16 record over his career. He is also the second all-time leading scorer in Georgia high school basketball history.

Coming off a playoff performance where he averaged 11.5 ppg, 3.0 apg and 2.1 rpg in 27.5 minutes per contest, Williams was Philadelphia’s leading scorer in 2011-12 at a career-best 14.9 points per game clip. Having led the Sixers in total points (956) despite not starting a single game, he became the first player to accomplish this feat since Dell Curry did so for Charlotte in 1993-94. His play received praise from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, who voted him second behind Oklahoma City’s James Harden for this year’s KIA Sixth Man Award. Third on the team in assists (3.5 apg), Williams also averaged 2.4 rebounds and 0.8 steals, and converted 40.7% of his FGs, 36.2% of his three-pointers and 81.2% shooting from the FT line.

Originally committed to play for the University of Georgia before declaring himself available for the NBA, Williams had his #23 retired at South Gwinnett High.

Hawks trade Marvin Williams to Jazz for Devin Harris

Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has acquired forward Marvin Williams from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for guard Devin Harris, pending the outcome of physicals.

Williams (6-9, 245, North Carolina) is entering his eighth NBA season and has played in 487 career games (379 starts), all with Atlanta, owning career averages of 11.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 30.4 minutes. He helped the Hawks advance to the playoffs for the last five seasons, appearing in 42 playoff games (27 starts), after the franchise had failed to make the postseason the previous eight years. Williams saw action in 57 games (37 starts) for the Hawks in 2011-12, averaging 10.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 26.3 minutes while shooting a career-high .389 (58-149) from three-point range. He averaged double-figure scoring for the sixth straight season, posting 32 games with 10-plus points including 20-plus twice, and registered two double-doubles.

Originally selected by the Hawks in the first-round (second overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft, Williams was selected to the NBA’s 2006 All-Rookie Second Team. He was also a two-time recipient (2008, 2011) of the Hawks’ Jason Collier Memorial Trophy for his work as a community ambassador.

Prior to the NBA, the 26-year-old Bremerton, Wash., native played one season at the University of North Carolina (2004-05), where he was a member of the Tar Heels’ 2005 NCAA Championship team. Williams’ tip-in with 1:26 remaining in the 2005 NCAA title game vs. Illinois broke a 70-70 tie, propelling UNC to a 75-70 victory. He earned ACC Rookie of the Year honors and was a unanimous selection to the ACC All-Freshman Team in his lone college season.

An eight-year veteran, Harris’ tenure in Utah consisted of 80 games after he was traded by the Nets (along with Derrick Favors and other considerations) on February 23, 2011. He helped lead the Jazz to the first round of the playoffs before they were eliminated in four games by Dallas. In 63 games this year, Harris tallied 11.3 points and 5.0 assists, and made 44.5% of his FG attempts while shooting 75 percent from the free throw line.

Selected as a reserve on the Eastern Conference’s All-Star team in 2009, Atlanta will be Harris’ fourth team since coming into the NBA in 2004. Picked fifth overall by Washington, he was traded to Dallas on draft night and played three and a half seasons for the Mavericks before he was traded to New Jersey on February 19, 2008.

In three-plus seasons with the Nets, Harris’ career numbers continued to improve, topped by a personal-best 21.3 ppg average in 2008-09. It was the fifth straight season in which his scoring totals increased, to go along with career highs in rebounds (3.3 rpg) and steals (1.6 spg). Harris brings career averages of 13.1 points, 5.0 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals to Atlanta, and he has connected on .441 FG%, .315 3FG% and 80.1 percent of his FTs.

Clippers sign Jamal Crawford

The Los Angeles Clippers today signed free agent guard Jamal Crawford. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

A 12-year NBA veteran, Crawford tallied 13.9 points, 3.2 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 26.9 minutes in 60 games played for the Portland Trail Blazers last season. Crawford also connected on 38 percent of his field goals, 31 percent of his three-point field goal attempts and 93 percent of his free throws on the year. Crawford finished the season ranked first in the NBA in free throw percentage.

Named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2009-10 while with the Atlanta Hawks, Crawford has averaged 15.3 points, 3.9 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 31.8 minutes over his career. He turned out his most productive NBA season in 2007-08 while with the New York Knicks, tallying 20.6 points, 5.0 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 39.9 minutes in 80 games played.

The eighth overall selection in the 2000 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Crawford was part of a draft day trade that sent him to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for the draft rights to Chris Mihm. After four seasons in Chicago, Crawford was traded to the New York Knicks, where he remained until being traded to the Golden State Warriors in 2008. Crawford was traded to the Atlanta Hawks prior to the start of the 2009 season, remaining there until signing with Portland as a free agent prior to the start of last season.

Hawks trade Joe Johnson to Nets

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired six-time All-Star guard Joe Johnson from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Jordan Farmar, Anthony Morrow, DeShawn Stevenson, Jordan Williams, Johan Petro, Houston’s 2013 first round pick and the Nets’ second round draft pick in 2017, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

“We are very pleased to add a perennial All-Star caliber player like Joe Johnson to our roster,” said King. “Joe is considered one of the premier guards in the NBA, and his skill and talent level will have a very positive impact on our team.”

Johnson, (6-7, 240), was selected 10th overall in the first round of the 2001 NBA Draft by Boston. The Arkansas product is an 11-year NBA veteran and holds career averages of 17.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.0 steal in 36.7 minutes per game. In 831 career games, including 761 starts, with Boston, Phoenix and Atlanta, he has shot .444 (5,673-12,779) from the field, .368 (1,281-3,479) from three-point range and .797 (2,130-2,672) from the line. Johnson is a six-time All Star, made the All NBA Third Team in 2010, won a bronze medal as part of Team USA at the 2006 FIBA World Championships in Japan and was a member of the All-Rookie Second Team in 2002. In 60 games with the Hawks last season, Johnson averaged 18.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 35.5 minutes. He shot .454 (423-931) from the field, .388 (125-322) from behind the arc and .849 (158-186) from the line.

Farmar, (6-2, 180), appeared in 39 games, five starts, with the Nets last season and averaged a career-best 10.4 points along with 1.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 21 minutes. He shot career-bests .467 (147-315) from the field, .440 (55-125) from behind the arc (8th in the NBA), and .905 (57-63) from the line. In 413 career games, 25 starts, with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Nets, he has averaged 7.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 19.5 minutes. He has shot .427 (1,202-2,818) from the field, .367 (458-1,248) from behind the arc and .728 (321-441) from the line.

Morrow, (6-5, 210), made 62 appearances, including 18 starts, with the Nets last season and averaged 12.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 26.4 minutes. He shot .413 (272-658) from the field, .371 (106-286) from downtown and .933 (97-104) from the line. He scored a career-high 42 points, including a career-high 8-of-11 three’s vs. Minnesota on 2/3/12. In 256 career games, 119 starts, with Golden State and the Nets, Morrow has averaged 12.1 points and 3.0 rebounds in 27.4 minutes. He has shot .451 (1,135-2,515) from the field, .426 (442-1,037) from three-point range and .897 (374-417) from the line.

Williams (6-10, 260), selected in the second round of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Nets, played in 43 games as a rookie in 2011-12. The Maryland product averaged 4.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per game.

Petro, (7-0, 247), appeared in 59 games, 10 starts with the Nets last season and averaged 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 15.6 minutes. He shot .419 (109-260) from the field and .838 (31-37) from the line. In 442 career games, 131 starts, with Seattle/Oklahoma City, Denver and the Nets, he has averaged 4.7 points and 3.9 rebounds in 15.6 minutes.

Stevenson, (6-5, 218), appeared in 51 games, 30 starts, with the Nets last season and averaged 2.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 18.8 minutes. In 768 career games, 511 starts, with Utah, Orlando, Washington, Dallas and the Nets, he has averaged 7.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 22.5 minutes.

Jordan Farmar to be bought out; will play in Europe

Jordan Farmar is okay with it. The former Nets backup point guard, traded to Atlanta Tuesday as part of the package the Nets used to acquire all-star guard Joe Johnson, will be bought out by the Hawks today for $1.5 million. And once he clears waivers and is officially a free agent, Farmar, who played in Israel last summer during the NBA lockout, intends to go play in Europe, with Anadolu Efes, of Istanbul.

Farmar had the option of becoming a free agent this summer or exercise his player option to play for the Nets one more year, at $4.25 million. Farmar decided on June 30 — the day he had to make the decision and hours before free agency began — to pick the option up. But two days later, he was included in the trade to Atlanta, along with Anthony Morrow, Johan Petro and Jordan Williams. With a three-year offer from Efes on the table, Farmar asked to be bought out, and the Hawks were willing to accommodate him.

— Reported by Colin Stephenson of the Newark Star-Ledger

Atlanta Hawks sign rookie John Jenkins

The Atlanta Hawks have signed 2012 first-round pick John Jenkins, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/GM Danny Ferry.

All players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft are guaranteed to receive a contract. So, this signing is standard, and expected.

Jenkins, the 23rd overall selection from Vanderbilt, led the Southeastern Conference in scoring the last two years, averaging 19.9 points per game last season for the Commodores. A two-time First Team All-SEC performer, Jenkins is currently participating in the Hawks’ rookie-free agent camp in Atlanta and will be in action later this week with Atlanta’s rookie team at the NBA Summer League competition in Las Vegas, NV.

Acie Law continues playing in Europe

Reigning Turkish Airlines Euroleague champion Olympiacos BC Piraeus kept building its roster for the upcoming season by re-signing point guard Acie Law for an extra year, the club announced Saturday. Law (1.90 meters, 27 years old) arrived to Olympiacos before the start of the Top 16, averaging 5.5 points in 12 games with the Reds last season. He boosted his numbers up to 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists in the playoffs series against Montepaschi Siena, which allowed Olympiacos to make it to the Final Four and eventually win the Euroleague title. Law also helped Olympiacos to win the Greek League last season.

— Reported by Euroleague.net

Kirk Hinrich will return to Chicago Bulls

The Bulls have made their first move in the NBA’s free-agency period by bringing back a familiar face: Kirk Hinrich. As first reported by the Chicago Tribune, the veteran guard agreed to a two-year, $6-million contract, a source confirmed to CSNChicago.com.

The deal is believed to be the “mini” mid-level exception, according to the same source, which is earmarked for teams up against the salary cap. While Hinrich drew interest from several other NBA teams, including the nearby division rival Milwaukee Bucks, ultimately returning to the franchise that drafted him and being able to live with his family in his north-suburban home he has resided in during offseasons since being traded from the Bulls in the summer of 2010 was a deciding factor.

Hinrich, who is capable of playing both guard positions and is regarded as a strong defender, will likely start the season as the Bulls’ starting point guard as Derrick Rose recovers from ACL surgery.

— Reported by Aggrey Sam of CSN Chicago

Hawks hire Wes Wilcox as assistant general manager

The Atlanta Hawks have named Wes Wilcox as Assistant General Manager, according to President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Danny Ferry.

Wilcox comes to the Hawks from the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he was most recently Director of Player Personnel, as well as serving as General Manager of the Cavs’ NBA Development League team, the Canton Charge. He joined the Cavaliers in 2003, and held the roles of advance scout, college scout and pro personnel scout.

Wilcox got his NBA start in 2001-02 as an intern with the Miami Heat in their scouting/video department, before moving to New Orleans as the Hornets’ video coordinator in 2002-03. He is a graduate of Cal-State Fullerton, and he and his wife Larisha have a son, Noah.