JANUARY 11: Favors has officially signed with the Hawks, the team announced today in a press release. His 10-day contract will run through January 20, making him eligible for Atlanta’s next six games.
As our tracker shows, Favors’ deal is the fifth 10-day contract signed so far this season.
JANUARY 10: Veteran power forward Derrick Favors is signing a 10-day contract with the Hawks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Favors, 31, has been out of the league since the Rockets waived him during training camp. Houston made that move even though Favors’ $10,183,800 salary was guaranteed, due to a roster crunch. He was acquired by the Rockets in an eight-player trade with the Thunder in September.
The third overall pick of the 2010 draft, Favors has appeared in 790 regular season games (503 starts, 24.3 MPG) with averages of 10.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 1.2 BPG while shooting 53.4% from the floor and 66.3% from the foul line. His mobility and production have declined in recent seasons — he averaged career-lows of 5.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 38 games (18 starts, 16.7 MPG) with the Thunder in 2021/22.
Atlanta has an open roster spot, so no corresponding move will be necessary. Favors will provide more depth up front, which could come in handy since Clint Capela is dealing with a calf injury. Capela won’t play against Milwaukee on Wednesday.
Favors could also be a longer-term option as a backup in case the Hawks deal power forward John Collins, whose name has frequently come up in trade rumors.
It’s a homecoming for Favors, who played for Georgia Tech after attending South Atlanta High School.