Category: Atlanta Hawks Blog

Atlanta Hawks blog

Atlanta Hawks sign rookie AJ Griffin

The Atlanta Hawks yesterday signed 2022 first round pick (16th overall) AJ Griffin.

Griffin appeared in 39 games (25 starts) during his freshman season at Duke, averaging 10.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game, helping to lead the Blue Devils to their 20th ACC regular season title in program history, a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and the team’s 17th Final Four appearance (.493 FG%, .447 3FG%, .792 FT%).

An Honorable Mention All-ACC and a member of the ACC All-Freshman Team, Griffin’s .447 clip from three-point territory ranked fifth in Duke history and second by a Blue Devil freshman. He scored 10-or-more points in 23 of his 39 games, including five games of 20-or-more. The 6-6 forward poured in a career-high 27 points on 11-17 shooting from the floor, including a 3-6 mark from deep, in an 87-67 win over rival North Carolina on Feb. 5. His 27 points tied the fourth-most points by a Blue Devil in their first Duke-UNC game. In a 74-65 victory against Louisville on Jan. 29, Griffin shot a perfect 5-5 (1.000 3FG%) from the three-point line, marking the highest three-point percentage by a Duke freshman on a minimum five attempts.

Prior to arriving at Duke, Griffin, a five-star small forward out of Archbishop Stepinac in White Plains, New York, was ranked as the No. 9 overall player in ESPN 100’s rankings for the class of 2021, as well as the No. 1 player in the state of New York and the No. 1 small forward in the ESPN 100. He won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, notching 13.5 points and a team-high 3.3 steals in six contests. Griffin’s father, Adrian Griffin, played in the NBA for 10 seasons and is currently an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors.

Atlanta Hawks promote Landry Fields to General Manager

The Atlanta Hawks today announced a series of promotions and hires within basketball operations, including the promotion of Landry Fields to general manager. He will continue to report to president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk.

Additionally, the Hawks have announced: Dwight Lutz has been elevated to vice president of basketball strategy and analytics, Stephen Giles to director of pro scouting, and Justin Eaddy to basketball operations coordinator/scout, while Rod Higgins has transitioned to senior advisor and Larry Riley to college scout. Also, Grant Liffmann has been hired as a pro personnel scout.

Fields, 34, has served as the Hawks’ assistant general manager for the last two seasons. He joined the organization in 2020 following four seasons as part of the San Antonio Spurs franchise, where he finished his stint as general manager of the Spurs G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, after working three seasons as a college scout. 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. A native of Long Beach, Calif., Fields and his wife Elaine have two sons, JJ and Kai.

Lutz is entering his fifth season with the Hawks. He came to Atlanta 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 (Texas) before receiving a graduate degree in statistics from the University of Florida.

Having re-joined the Hawks in 2019 as a pro personnel scout, Giles also served as an advance scout for the team from 2008-11. He has spent time in scouting with the Warriors, Nuggets, Magic, Knicks and Cavaliers. Giles is also a former college assistant coach, including stints with Marquette, Florida State and Georgia Southern. The Dunn, N.C. native is a graduate of University of North Carolina, and owns a Master’s Degree in Sport Management from Georgia Southern.

Eaddy came to Atlanta as a seasonal assistant in 2020. He was previously at the University of Connecticut as graduate head manager as well as student manager of the men’s basketball team, where he also earned his undergraduate degree in psychology and a Master’s in Sports Management. He is a native of Hartford, Conn.

A longtime NBA player, executive, coach and scout, Higgins, who has been with the Hawks since 2017, played 13 seasons with Chicago, Seattle, San Antonio, New Jersey, Golden State, Sacramento and Cleveland, before retiring in 1994. Higgins was an assistant coach with the Warriors from 1994-2000 before joining the Washington Wizards as assistant general manager. He returned to Golden State as general manager, then spent 2007-14 with the Charlotte Bobcats, finishing as president of basketball operations.

With the Hawks since 2018, Riley is a veteran of nearly 50 years in basketball, including the last 30-plus in the NBA. Riley was the general manager of the Golden State Warriors from 2009 to 2012, later serving as a consultant for the team. He was also an assistant coach and director of scouting for the Warriors, an assistant coach and advance scout for the Dallas Mavericks, director of player personnel for the Vancouver Grizzlies and an assistant coach and scout for the Milwaukee Bucks. Riley is the former head coach at Eastern New Mexico and Chadron State (Neb.).

Liffmann comes to the Hawks organization after having served as a television and podcast host and analyst for NBC Sports Bay Area, covering the Golden State Warriors from 2016-22. He won a Northern California Emmy Award in 2018. The native of Burlingame, Calif. and graduate of University of California-Berkeley holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies.

San Antonio Spurs trade Dejounte Murray to Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks have acquired All-Star guard Dejounte Murray and center Jock Landale in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs. In exchange, the Spurs receive forward Danilo Gallinari, a conditional 2023 first round pick (from Charlotte via New York), Atlanta’s 2025 and 2027 first round picks and a 2026 first round pick swap.

“The opportunity to acquire a player of Dejounte’s caliber, just entering his prime, doesn’t come along too often,” said Hawks President of Basketball Operations Travis Schlenk. “He has developed into one of the elite two-way guards in the league and we’re thrilled to add him to our group. I’d also like to thank Gallo for his professionalism and his contributions to the Hawks over the last two seasons.”

Murray appeared in 68 games (all starts) during the 2021-22 season, averaging career bests in points per game (21.1), assists per game (9.2), rebounds per game (8.3) and steals per game (2.0) in a career-high 34.8 minutes of action (.462 FG%, .327 3FG%, .794 FT%). The 6-4 guard became the first player in NBA history to average at least 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 2.0 steals in a single season. Murray totaled 1,438 points, 563 rebounds, 627 assists and 138 steals, becoming just the eighth player since the 1973-74 season to tally at least 1,400 points, 600 assists, 500 rebounds and 130 steals in a single season.

A 2022 NBA All-Star, Murray led the league in steals per game (2.03), while finishing fourth in assists per game (9.2) this past season. Per Elias Sports, Murray and Hawks All-NBA guard Trae Young will be the first pair of teammates in NBA history who each averaged at least 20.0 points and 9.0 assists per game in the previous season.

The University of Washington product recorded 13 triple-doubles during the 2021-22 season, the second-most in the NBA. Per Elias Sports, Murray is one of only six guards in NBA history with 13-or-more triple-doubles in a single season within his first five NBA seasons, joining Oscar Robertson (five times), Magic Johnson (twice), Michael Jordan, Fat Lever and Luka Doncic. He owns 17 career triple-doubles, the most in Spurs history. Against Houston on January 12, 2022, the Seattle, Washington, native recorded a triple-double of 32 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists and zero turnovers in 37 minutes. Murray became the only player in the NBA this past season to record a 30-point triple-double while registering zero turnovers and became one of just seven players in NBA history to do so.

Over his five-year career, Murray has appeared in 320 games (249 starts), owning averages of 12.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 25.8 minutes (.455 FG%, .330 3FG%, .771 FT%). He became the youngest player to be named to an All-Defensive Team, after earning the nod in 2018.

Landale saw action in 54 games (one start) for San Antonio during his rookie season, chipping in 4.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 10.9 minutes (.495 FG%, .326 3FG%, .829 FT%). The former Saint Mary Gaels center poured in 10-or-more points on 10 occasions during the 2021-22 season, including a career-high 26 points on 12-15 shooting from the field against the Indiana Pacers on March 12.

A native of Melbourne, Australia, Landale suited up for the Hawks during the 2018 Summer League in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. In nine total Summer League contests with Atlanta (six starts), he averaged 5.0 points and 5.8 rebounds in 18.3 minutes.

Acquired by Atlanta on November 24, 2020, Gallinari appeared in 117 regular season games (22 starts) with the Hawks over two seasons, averaging 12.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 24.7 minutes (.434 FG%, .392 3FG%, .915 FT%). The Sant’Angelo Lodigiano, Italy, native also saw action in 23 postseason games with Atlanta (three starts), compiling 12.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in 24.1 minutes of play (.420 FG%, .384 3FG%, .952 FT%).

Pelicans will host October 2022 preseason game against Hawks in Birmingham, Alabama

The New Orleans Pelicans will host a preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, October 14, at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama – home of the Pelicans’ NBA G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron. Tipoff is at 7:00 p.m. CST.

“The decision to launch the Squadron was a commitment by the Pelicans organization to invest in the Birmingham community,” said Pelicans Governor Gayle Benson. “This Pelicans preseason game in Birmingham is a tangible example of that commitment, and this is just the beginning. We want to thank the City of Birmingham, the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, and everyone involved in making this event happen.”

“This is a big deal,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin. “As a basketball fan, I am thrilled to see these amazing teams battle it out. As the mayor, I am proud that this event can be enjoyed by our residents and visitors. This just further confirms that Birmingham is a destination for top sports event in our region.”

“Birmingham and Legacy Arena playing host to a NBA preseason game with the New Orleans Pelicans was exactly the kind of enhanced partnership opportunity we had in mind when first discussing bringing the Birmingham Squadron NBA G League team to Birmingham,” said BJCC Executive Director and CEO Tad Snider. “From the earliest discussions it was apparent the Pelicans organization and Gayle Benson had a genuine interest to partner with our city in a deeper way than just the team. With the inaugural season behind us just as we were completing the renovations to Legacy Arena, this announcement is a wonderful momentum builder leading into season two. NBA games in Legacy Arena in the past have been exciting for our community, and we expect this game featuring the Pelicans and Atlanta Hawks to be the best one yet.”

Hawks center Clint Capela injures knee in play-in game vs. Cavs

Late second quarter in the Atlanta Hawks play-in tournament game in Cleveland against the Cavaliers, Hawks center Clint Capela fouled Cavs big-man Evan Mobley. The foul pulled Mobley in the direction of Capela, resulting in a fall that led to what the Hawks say is a right knee hyperextension.

Per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Capela went down in pain and immediately grabbed his knee after fouling Cleveland’s Evan Mobley, with Mobley then falling on Capela’s knee. Capela was helped back to the Hawks’ locker room.”

Capela won’t return tonight.

The Hawks are already playing without John Collins, so this weakens their frontcourt even further.

Mid third quarter, the Cavs lead, 70-59.

The winner of this game will win a spot in the 2022 playoffs as the East’s No. 8 seed, and will face the Miami Heat in the first round.

Hawks look good in first play-in tournament game

Here’s the Atlanta Journal Constitution on the Atlanta Hawks, who stepped up nicely against the Hornets in their first 2022 play-in tournament game:

They hardly looked like a No. 9 seed just trying to get into the playoffs. I’m sure I’m not the only one tired of hearing about last year, but there’s no way around it after that performance.

The Hawks opened their 2022 postseason looking like the intense and determined team that made it to the 2021 Eastern Conference finals. They’ll have to win again at Cleveland on Friday to earn the East’s No. 8 seed and a first-round series against top-seeded Miami. It’s a road game against a gritty opponent instead of a home game against a squad that prefers to run and shoot.

“It’s going to be tight; it’s going to be loud,” Hawks center Clint Capela said.

I still have some questions about how the Hawks would respond in a hotly contested elimination game on the road. I have fewer of them after the 132-103 victory over the Hornets…

The Hornets tried to make Hawks star Trae Young a nonfactor by forcing him to give up the ball. Young thwarted their plans with a masterful floor game, and his teammates converted most of their scoring chances. The Hornets wanted to run at every opportunity. The Hawks didn’t give them many chances because they took care of the ball and ran back to recover before the Hornets could attack.

Hawks sign Chaundee Brown Jr. to two-way contract

The Atlanta Hawks have signed guard Chaundee Brown Jr. to a two-way contract.

Brown was signed by the Hawks earlier this season on Dec. 27 to a 10-day contract. He appeared in three games for Atlanta (two starts), averaging 9.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 27.7 minutes (.400 3FG%, .833 FT%). Against the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 29, Brown tallied a career-high 16 points, in addition to three rebounds and three assists in 31.6 minutes.

Prior to his 10-day contract with the Hawks, the 6-5 guard appeared in two games with the Los Angeles Lakers on a two-way contract. In total this season, Brown has seen action in five NBA games (two starts), recording 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 20.8 minutes of play.

The Orlando, Fla., native appeared in 30 games (all starts) with the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League this season, averaging 15.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 30.4 minutes (.447 FG%, .328 3FG%, .833 FT%).

After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, Brown saw action in five Summer League contests with the Lakers and five preseason games. In those five preseason outings, he averaged 7.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in 12.1 minutes (.467 FG%, .455 3FG%, .714 FT%).

Brown played collegiately at Wake Forest (2017-20) before transferring to Michigan (2020-21). During his senior season at Michigan, he helped lead the Wolverines to their fourth consecutive NCAA Sweet 16 and an appearance in the Elite Eight, en route to being named to the All-East Regional Team. Over his four-year collegiate career, Brown saw action in 112 games (77 starts), registering 9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 24.6 minutes (.435 FG%, .352 3FG%, .812 FT%).

Brown, whose name is pronounced shawn-dee, will wear No. 45.

Hawks convert Skylar Mays’ contract from two-way to standard

The Atlanta Hawks have converted the contract of guard Skylar Mays from a two-way to a standard NBA contract.

Mays has appeared in 27 games (five starts) for the Hawks this season, averaging 3.0 points in 8.1 minutes (.500 FG%, .889 FT%). In eight starts with the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League this season, he averaged 18.0 points, 4.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 33.6 minutes (.456 FG%, .341 3FG%, .947 FT%).

Drafted in the second round (50th overall) by the Hawks in the 2020 NBA Draft, Mays played in 33 games as a rookie with Atlanta in 2020-21, putting up 3.8 points and 1.1 rebounds in 8.2 minutes (.449 FG%, .350 3FG%, .880 FT%).

A native of Baton Rouge, LA, Mays attended LSU and became the first player in school history to record at least 1,600 points, 400 rebounds, 300 assists and 200 steals. A summa cum laude graduate with a degree in kinesiology, Mays was a three-time Academic All-American and a two-time SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Hawks forward John Collins out with foot and finger injuries

Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins received second opinions yesterday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, which confirmed the original diagnoses and treatment plans for a right foot strain, including a plantar fascia tear, as well as a right ring finger sprain.

Dr. Michelle Carlson of HSS administered an anti-inflammatory shot in his finger yesterday and he was fitted with custom splints, which he will wear for the remainder of the season.

Over the next few days, Collins will undergo a non-surgical procedure on his right foot at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex.

His status will be updated in 10-14 days.

Knicks trade Kevin Knox to Hawks for Cam Reddish and Solomon Hill

The Atlanta Hawks have acquired forward Kevin Knox II and a conditional future first-round pick (Charlotte’s protected first-round pick) in a trade with the New York Knicks for forwards Cam Reddish and Solomon Hill as well as a 2025 second-round pick and cash considerations.

In addition, New York has waived guard Ryan Arcidiacono.

Knox, 22, has played in 194 career games with the Knicks (61 starts), averaging 8.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 20.1 minutes and scoring in double-figures 69 times. This season in 12 contests, he’s put in 3.9 points and 1.8 rebounds in 9.2 minutes.

Drafted with the ninth overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Knicks, the 6’9 Knox was First-Team All-SEC and SEC Freshman of the Year in 2018 at Kentucky. The former Florida Mr. Basketball attended Tampa Catholic High School in Tampa, FL.

Reddish, 6-8, 218 pounds, holds career averages of 11.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals over 118 games (62 starts) over three seasons with Atlanta. He is currently averaging career bests of 11.9 points, 90-percent shooting from the free throw line and 37.9-percent shooting from downtown over 23.4 minutes in 34 games (seven starts) for the Hawks this season. He recorded a career high 34 points on Dec. 22 against Orlando and then followed that up with his second career 30-point effort, with 33 points against Chicago on Dec. 27.

The 22-year-old was selected by Atlanta 10th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, following one season at Duke University, where he was teammates with RJ Barrett. The Norristown, PA-native, averaged 13.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists over 29.7 minutes as a Blue Devil.

Hill played in 84 games (17 starts) in two seasons with the Hawks, averaging 3.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 19.7 minutes.