- The Hawks assigned forward Tyler Cavanaugh to their affiliate in Erie, the team announced on its website. Two-way player Josh Magette was also sent to the G-League squad, which will face Lakeland Saturday in a single-elimination playoff game.
- Hawks guard Dennis Schroder’s legal issues have grown, as his misdemeanor case stemming from an incident last September could be prosecuted as a felony, Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. According to court records, the case has been transferred to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s office under a recommendation of prosecuting it as felony aggravated battery. The DA says the case remains under investigation and no decision has been made on charges, Cunningham tweets. The incident involved a scuffle at a shopping center parking lot.
- The Hawks will reap the benefits of their decision to rebuild, starting with this year’s draft, writes Bobby Marks of ESPN. Atlanta currently projects to have four picks in the top 35 and sits in third place in our latest Reverse Standings. The team could have up to $30MM in cap space available and will be in the market for a third point guard and a combo forward.
- Hawks‘ forward Taurean Prince has improved his three-point prowess throughout his career, but no more so than this season, writes Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype, where he is shooting 40.4% from behind the stripe.
4:06pm: The signing is official, per an official release and tweet from the team. The deal will run through next Sunday, April 1.
2:38pm: The Hawks will sign Lee to a second 10-day contract after all, Cunningham reports (via Twitter).
11:38am: Damion Lee‘s 10-day contract with the Hawks expired overnight on Thursday, and the team had planned to lock him up to a second 10-day deal, according to Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. However, a source tells Cunningham that Lee is exploring other options available to him.
Lee, 25, has appeared in his first five NBA games over the last 10 days and has looked good as a regular part of the Hawks’ rotation. In 23.8 minutes per contest, the rookie shooting guard has averaged 10.4 PPG on .447/.375/.800 shooting, chipping in 3.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, and 1.2 SPG.
It’s not clear which other teams might be looking to lure Lee away from Atlanta, or if another club might be willing to give him a rest-of-season contract rather than just another 10-day deal. As Cunningham observes, Lee may have interest in signing with a team that would give him a better chance to stick around for 2018/19 — the Hawks have a crowded depth chart at shooting guard.
We’ll have to wait to see where he ultimately lands, but given his solid play in the G League and a promising start to his NBA career, it’s no surprise that Lee is drawing interest from more than one team.
Mark Suleymanov of Hoops Rumors took an in-depth look on Thursday at Lee’s long road to the NBA, a journey that saw him make his way back from ACL tears in both knees.
Damion Lee has twice suffered an injury that is known to shorten – or even end – careers.
While at Drexel University, Lee missed most of his junior season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee in December 2013. Just 16 games into his professional career in January 2017, Lee tore the ACL in his left knee and was released by the G League’s Maine Red Claws.
Successfully returning from one ACL tear is difficult enough, as the recovery process can last upwards of one year – Lee had to endure that process twice. Despite the long odds, Lee said he was never deterred from his goal of playing in the NBA.
“Retirement has never crossed my mind,” Lee said in an interview with Hoops Rumors via email earlier this month. “After the second injury in 2016, it actually made me stronger and motivated me, because I knew that I have returned from the same injury. My belief during the entire rehab process was that I could return to the court the second time around stronger than ever.”
Lee, 25, said his first ACL injury was the more challenging of the two tears. Lee’s first bout with the injury included a meniscus tear, which kept him off his feet for two months. The second injury was a partial tear of the ACL, which enabled Lee to do weight-bearing exercises the day after surgery and be off crutches in two weeks.
“The second time I tore my ACL it was a freak accident,” Lee said. “I actually thought it was a meniscus injury. I received an MRI the following morning, and the doctors told me it was partially torn; there are two bundles (of ligaments), and only one bundle was torn. I sort of knew what to expect from the recovery process that time around, so I attacked the recovery process better because I had expectations on how to approach it.”
Lee was rewarded for his persistence last week when the Hawks signed the combo guard to a 10-day contract. It was the payoff to a successful G League campaign in which Lee averaged 15.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 2.6 APG in 38 games with the Santa Cruz Warriors.
Four games into his NBA career, Lee has shown flashes of the skills that earned him a look in Atlanta.
Lee recorded 13 points and 14 points in his first two contests, becoming the first Hawks rookie to score double-digit points in his first two games since Paul Graham in 1992, per Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). On Tuesday, he played 32 minutes against the Jazz in his first career start.
Lee said he made it a point to not let his past injuries impact his ability to contribute to his team.
“My playing style actually hasn’t changed at all. I’ve always been a land-loving, slashing, high basketball IQ player since I started playing the game,” Lee said. “I may not be the flashiest, but I try to be the most efficient, effective player I can be. I try to do the little things on the court that contribute to the success of my team.”
That mentality was noticed by Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer, who spoke highly of Lee after his second NBA appearance in a 129-117 loss to the Hornets.
“There’s a confidence. He has the ability to shoot the 3 but also slashing behind shifts,” Budenholzer said, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Just a good feel for the game. Sticking his nose in there on rebounds and loose balls. Great first impression for him this week.”
The Hawks have brought in several guards on 10-day contracts recently, including Antonius Cleveland and Jaylen Morris, who have both since signed multiyear deals with the team. Atlanta now has 14 players on guaranteed contracts, with Lee’s 10-day deal – which is set to expire – occupying the 15th and final spot on the roster.
While it remains to be seen if the Hawks will sign him to a second 10-day contract, Lee said his long journey to the NBA has taught him to persevere.
“Tearing an ACL is devastating, but the reality is that everyone in life experiences devastating and tragic events,” Lee said. “One thing that I took away from going through these injuries is a confidence that one day I will return to the court and play this game, and it will be a safe haven for me.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
MARCH 21: The Hawks officially signed Morris to a multi-year deal on Wednesday, tweets Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
MARCH 17: Rookie shooting guard Jaylen Morris will sign with the Hawks for the remainder of the season, according to a tweet from his agency, RZA Sports.
Morris inked a pair of 10-day deals with Atlanta, with the latest one due to expire Wednesday. He is currently sidelined by a sprained ankle that he suffered Sunday and is projected to miss another week. He appeared in six games before the injury, averaging 4.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in about 16 minutes of playing time.
Morris went undrafted last summer out of Division II Molloy College. He spent most of this season with the Hawks’ G League affiliate in Erie, where he averaged 12.6 points in 39 games.
Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
9:00 pm:
- The Pacers have recalled Alex Poythress from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to the team’s website. The Kentucky product has played in seven G League games this season where he averaged 20.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
4:56 pm:
- For the second consecutive day, the Jazz sent Dante Exum to the G League and then recalled him later in the day, the team announced in a press release. The former fifth overall pick is preparing for his return from a shoulder injury by practicing with the Salt Lake City Stars.
- The Lakers have assigned rookie big man Thomas Bryant to the G League, according to the club (Twitter link). Bryant, who has averaged 19.2 PPG and 7.5 RPG in 32 G League games this season, is expected to suit up for the South Bay Lakers on Thursday night when they host the Agua Caliente Clippers.
- Chris McCullough, who had been playing for the Northern Arizona Suns, was recalled today by the Wizards and then re-assigned to the Erie BayHawks, according to the team. Washington doesn’t have a G League affiliate of its own this season, so McCullough is eligible to play for other G League squads via the flexible assignment rule.
MARCH 14: Now that his second 10-day contract has expired, Cleveland has finalized his new multi-year deal with the Hawks, the team announced today in a press release.
Atlanta now has 13 players on guaranteed rest-of-season contracts, with Damion Lee and Jaylen Morris on 10-day deals.
MARCH 12: The Hawks are prepared to offer a multi-year deal to Antonius Cleveland that would include a guarantee for the remainder of the season, league sources told ESPN’s Chris Haynes (Twitter link).
Cleveland’s second 10-day deal is set to expire overnight on Tuesday. A plan was already in the works when Cleveland signed the second 10-day contract to extend the relationship for the rest of this season and beyond.
Cleveland, a 6’6” shooting guard, has yet to play for the Hawks. He saw action in 13 games as a two-way player with the Mavericks earlier this season, averaging 0.8 PPG in 6.2 MPG.
He went undrafted out of Southeast Missouri State last summer and inked a training camp deal with the Warriors before getting the two-way offer from Dallas.
Two players won’t be re-signed as they reach the end of their 10-day contracts, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.
The Pelicans have decided not to retain Walt Lemon Jr., Haynes tweets. The 25-year-old guard completed two 10-day deals with the team and would need to be signed for the rest of season to remain in New Orleans. Lemon appeared in five games during his 20 days with the Pelicans, averaging 3.4 points in 7.0 minutes per night.
The Grizzlies’ impending signing of Briante Weber means guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes won’t receive a second 10-day contract (Twitter link). The 23-year-old saw action in five games with Memphis, playing 23.6 minutes per night and averaging 5.8 points.
Also expiring overnight was a second 10-day contract for Antonius Cleveland, whom the Hawks are expected to sign to a multi-year deal.