Atlanta Hawks: Grading The Offseason
Other Signings
To round out the roster, the Hawks also signed Lamar Patterson and Terran Petteway to non-guaranteed contracts, allowing them to compete with Mike Muscala for the last two available spots on the roster. Muscala is a virtual lock to make the team, however, so it was supposedly going to come down to Patterson — the No. 48 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft — and Petteway — undrafted this year — for that last roster spot.
However, the competition for that final roster spot may have gotten a bit thicker with the signing of 13-year veteran Jason Richardson, who has spent the last three seasons in NBA Siberia with the Philadelphia 76ers. The deal is non-guaranteed, but if he’s healthy, it’s hard to envision Petteway or Patterson making the roster.
Jason Richardson has played 52 total games the past three seasons, 106 the past four. Still, a make-good deal is a smart move by ATL.
— David J. Smith (@davidjsmith1232) August 16, 2015
At age 34, Richardson has been battling injuries for the last two seasons. He played 19 games last year after returning from a knee injury that kept him sidelined for the entire 2013-14 season. In fact, J-Rich hasn’t played more than 50 games in a season since 2011-12, when he played for the Orlando Magic.
However, Richardson holds some appeal as a mentor for some of Atlanta’s younger wings like Kent Bazemore, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Justin Holiday. None of these minor signing move the needle much, but Richardson’s value as a locker room leader — or even as a three-point shooter if he’s healthy enough — can’t hurt either.
Grade: C+
Next: Overall