Category: Atlanta Hawks Blog

The Atlanta Hawks today signed guard/forward Damien Wilkins to a contract, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Rick Sund. Per team policy, terms were not disclosed.

Wilkins, 30, played in two preseason games with Memphis this year, averaging 2.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 1.0 spg (.400 FG%). He has appeared in 390 regular season NBA games over six seasons with Seattle/Oklahoma City (2004-09) and Minnesota (2009-10), and owns career averages of 7.2  ppg, 2.7 rpg and 1.6 apg (.421 FG%, .333 3FG%, .807 FT%). Wilkins saw action in seven playoff games with Seattle in 2004-05, putting up 5.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg and 1.4 spg (.444 FG%).

The son of former NBA player Gerald Wilkins and nephew of Hawks Hall-of-Famer Dominique Wilkins, he played his first two years of college basketball at North Carolina State (1999-2001), before transferring to Georgia for his final two campaigns (2002-04).

Damien Lamont Wilkins was born January 11, 1980 in Washington, North Carolina. He will wear uniform no. 3.

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The Atlanta Hawks announced this morning that the team has agreed to terms on a multi-year extension with center Al Horford, according to Executive Vice President and General Manager Rick Sund.  Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the deal is for five years and $60 million.

“From the moment he arrived in Atlanta, Al has been a large part of our success,” said Sund.  “The winning tradition he brought to the franchise as a rookie out of Florida has extended to three consecutive playoff seasons in a Hawks uniform.  In addition, he was deservedly recognized as an All-Star last year, and we certainly look forward to his continued development as we move forward.”

In his three seasons with the Hawks, Horford has played in 93 percent of his games (229 of 246 regular season contests) and totaled 12.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 blocks in 33 minutes of action (.527 FG%, .753 FT%).  In 81 games a year ago, he turned in career bests in points (14.2 ppg) and rebounds (9.9 rpg), in addition to becoming the first Atlanta draft selection to earn an All-Star berth since Kevin Willis (in 1992).

Eighth in the NBA in field goal percentage, Horford was also among the league’s leaders in rebounding (10th), offensive rebounding (tied for ninth) and blocks (26th).  He recorded a team-leading 39 double-doubles (11th in the NBA) and posted 12 20-point games and a career-high 31 on February 7 at the Los Angeles Clippers.

Having reached the postseason in every one of his three seasons, he has averaged 11.5 points and 8.3 rebounds in 27 games, with a 20/10 performance in his playoff debut (the first Hawk to do so) – 20 points and 10 boards against the Boston Celtics.

The third overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft from the University of Florida, and Horford was the only player unanimously picked to the NBA All-Rookie first team, and he was also runners-up for league Rookie of the Year honors.

The Atlanta Hawks have released Evan Brock, Richard Delk and Ricardo Marsh from the training camp roster, it was announced this afternoon by Executive Vice President and General Manager Rick Sund.  This transaction brings the current roster to 14 players.

Brock and Marsh each participated in four of Atlanta’s five preseason games, with Brock averaging 0.5 points and 2.8 rebounds and Marsh totaling 2.0 points and 1.3 rebounds.  In three contests, Delk scored 3.0 points and grabbed 1.3 boards.

Atlanta, 1-4 this preseason, hosts Miami Thursday night in a nationally-televised game on TNT at 8 p.m., and concludes exhibition action Friday at Charlotte (7 p.m.)

Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports:

After three seasons of increasingly productive play from center Al Horford, the Hawks have decided they want him for the long term.

The feeling is mutual for Horford, who said team officials and his agent, Arn Tellem, have started negotiations on a contract extension.

The Hawks have until Nov. 1 to make a deal with Horford on an extension that begins in 2011-12 and can be lengthened for up to five years and about $82 million under the NBA’s current labor agreement. Horford will make $5.4 million in 2010-11, the final year of his rookie-scale contract…

If the sides don’t reach an agreement by the deadline, Horford would become a restricted free agent next summer if the Hawks extend a one-year, $7.1 million qualifying offer by June 30. The Hawks consequently would retain the right to match any offer sheets signed by Horford.

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Atlanta Hawks Executive Vice President and General Manager Rick Sund has announced this afternoon that the team has signed guard/forward Pape Sy to a contract.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

Sy (pronounced SEE), the Hawks’ second round pick from France in the 2010 NBA Draft, was selected 53rd overall after spending time with team STB Le Havre of the French Pro A League.  He appeared in 38 games over three seasons, with the majority of those contests coming a year ago, as he averaged 5.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists (.505 FG%, .414 3FG% and .710 FT%).  Sy tallied a season-high 17 against Poitiers this past February.

“Our European scout (Loize Milosavljevic) did a great job in recommending Pape to us and once he participated in our pre-draft workouts, our scouts and coaches were very impressed with his abilities,” said Sund.  “Although he was hampered by an Achillies injury during summer league workouts, we were encouraged with his ability, athleticism and competitiveness.”

Sy, who is listed at 6-7 and is from Loudeac, France, will be on the floor with the rest of his new teammates when they opening training camp September 28 on the practice court at Philips Arena.

“He is a talented 6-7 backcourt player who can play multiple positions,” said Assistant General Manager Dave Pendergraft, who worked throughout the process to get Sy here in time for training camp.  “Sy’s an interesting prospect who is determined to play in the NBA.”

Atlanta Hawks head coach Larry Drew has finalized his 2010-11 coaching staff with the hiring of former pro Nick Van Exel to the position of Player Development Instructor, it was announced this afternoon.  Van Exel, comes to Atlanta from Texas Southern University, where he served as an assistant coach.

“We’re very excited to add Nick to the staff,” said Drew.  “I think he brings a wealth of knowledge to the position, and given his past experiences, he’ll be really vital to the development of our young guards, particularly Jeff Teague and Jordan Crawford.  With the staff we currently have on board, I believe Nick will do a tremendous job for us moving forward.”

A second round draft pick of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1993, Van Exel brings 13 seasons of NBA experience to the Hawks staff in addition to 76 playoff games and one All-Star Game appearance (1998), having tallied career averages of 14.4 points and 6.6 assists (.405 FG%, .794 FT%).  During his career with the Lakers, “Nick the Quick” was known as a flashy player who had the ability to deliver points in bunches and hitting game-winning shots.  In five years in LA, he finished with 14.9 points per game and 7.3 assists, finishing in the top ten in the league in that category on two occasions.

He joined Denver prior to the 1998-99 season and spent four years with the Nuggets, raising his scoring average in almost every season.  Over that period, Van Exel posted 17.9 ppg and 8.3 apg, averaging 21.4 points through the first 27 games of the 2001-02 season before he was traded along with three others to the Dallas Mavericks.

Following two seasons with Mavericks, Van Exel played for three different clubs over the next three years (Golden State, 2003-04; Portland, 2004-05; and San Antonio, 2005-06) before calling it a career.

Named to the NBA’s All-Rookie second team in 1994, Van Exel played his final two collegiate seasons at the University of Cincinnati, where he led the Bearcats in both points (18.3 ppg) and assists (4.5 apg) as a senior.  He led UC to an NCAA Final Four appearance and earned third-team All-America honors (AP, Basketball Times and Basketball Weekly) in addition to being selected as a finalist for the Wooden Award.

Nick Van Exel was born November 27, 1971 in Kenosha, WI.