Southeast Notes: Hamilton, Carter, Howard, Wade

After two years of being a fringe player for Oklahoma City, Daniel Hamilton is excited about the opportunity that awaits him with the Hawks, writes Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The 23-year-old shooting guard signed this week and hopes to become part of a young core in Atlanta.

“They just told me to come in and be the best version of me I can be,” he said. “… facilitating, getting teammates better. Knocking down the open shot. Playing defense. Being able to guard different positions. Just being versatile. Versatility is my biggest asset.”

The Nuggets took Hamilton with the 56th pick in 2016 and traded him to the Thunder on draft night. He spent his entire first season in the G League, then signed a two-way deal last year that saw him play just six games at the NBA level.

“It went by fast but it felt like a long journey,” Hamilton said. “… There are different levels to it. Each and every level, I get tougher. That’s why I train and put the work in, to be prepared for moments like this.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

• Nearly a month after Vince Carter committed to joining the Hawks, his official signing will take place tomorrow, Vivlamore tweets. The 41-year-old has said he expects this to be his final NBA season.
• Stan Van Gundy, who coached Dwight Howard during his rise to stardom with the Magic, says it has been difficult to witness what has happened to him in recent years. Howard, who signed with the Wizards after being traded by the Hornets and bought out by the Nets this summer, will start his third consecutive season with a new team. “It changed on Dwight quickly and it’s been not a lot of fun to watch from the outside because this guy was the best centers in the game for a long time,” Van Gundy said in a video posted by The Orlando Sentinel.
• If Dwyane Wade returns to the Heat, his contract could range from the $2.4MM veteran’s minimum to the $5.3MM mid-level exception, and the difference would be significant for the team, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel.  With tax penalties, a $5.3MM salary would cost the Heat $14.2MM and move them into the second level of the tax multiplier. A minimum salary would carry a total cost of $3.8MM and make it easier for Miami to escape the tax with a trade later in the season. “I don’t think this is about negotiating a mid-level or dollars,” team president Pat Riley said. “It’s about getting Dwyane back. It’s not really about the tax right now. Even though we have a tax situation, we’ll work our way around that.”