The Hawks made a minor move — or maybe what will eventually be no move at all — by acquiring Antawn Jamison from the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday at the NBA’s trade deadline.
The Hawks traded the rights to 2005 second-round draft pick Cenk Akyol (No. 59 overall), who currently plays in Turkey for Galatasaray Liv Hospital. The Hawks can fit the 15-year veteran Jamison, 37, and his pro-rated $884,293 total salary under their current cap. To clear a roster spot for Jamison the Hawks waived Cartier Martin hours before his second 10-day contract expired.
The trade does not mean that Jamison will join the Hawks.
“We’ll look at Antwan over the next couple of days and decide if it’s the best fit for each other,” general manager Danny Ferry said. “We haven’t talked to him yet, and we’ll make decisions accordingly.
“Regarding Antwan, I have personal experience with him from the year we were together in Cleveland. He was, and always has been, the ultimate professional and high-class guy. That is his trademark within the NBA. He really is a gentleman.”
Ferry traded for Jamison at the deadline in 2010 when he was general manager of the Cavaliers. Cleveland, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, lost to the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs.
Jamison has played in 22 games for the Clippers this season, with averages of 3.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.3 minutes. The forward has not played in 16 of the past 17 games.
Ferry characterized this year’s trade deadline as “less intense” than in previous years, particularly last season, when trade talks with Josh Smith went right to the deadline without a move. He said the team had many discussions with other teams as the injury-riddled Hawks need help in several areas. They played against the Wizards on Wednesday with nine healthy players, including one center in Elton Brand.
“Those are tough for our group,” Ferry said of the injuries. “We are going to be undersized most nights, but hopefully we get one or two of those guys back coming up here and get our group more whole. We won’t be completely whole the rest of the year. This is the NBA. Injuries are part of it. We have to work around it. You can’t use them as excuses. But there is also a reality to them, and we’ve had to deal with them this year.”
Ferry said the Hawks floated trade proposals that involved multiple second-round picks in an effort to get some help.
“Things that we talked about with some people got some traction, but none of them got great traction,” Ferry said.
In Jamison, the Hawks get a two-time All-Star, a first-round draft pick (No. 4 overall) in the 1998 draft and a Sixth Man Award winner. The Hawks would be his sixth different team. Jamison has averaged 18.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game over 16 seasons with the Warriors, Wizards, Cavaliers, Lakers and Clippers.
The Hawks have lost seven consecutive games. In that stretch they fell from third to seventh in the Eastern Conference. They are one game better than the Bobcats for the eighth and final spot.
Ferry said he believed his team could compete in the “peculiar” East this season, with opportunities behind the Heat and Pacers. While the Hawks haven’t given up on the playoffs, clearly their perspective has changed.
“We are in that phase of trying to build up,” Ferry said. “For us, we felt we were in an opportunistic period, if healthy, to capitalize on (the weak Eastern Conference). Obviously with the injuries we’ve had, especially losing Al (Horford), we’ve taken a broader perspective on our team’s season and the decisions that we’ll make.”
Ferry added: “We like the personality of the team; we just wish they were healthy.”
Injury updates: Center Gustavo Ayon will miss several more games with a right shoulder injury, according to Ferry.
Ayon, the fourth player to start at the position for the Hawks this season, missed the second half of Tuesday’s loss to the Pacers after suffering the injury. He also did not play in Wednesday’s loss to the Wizards. The 15-year veteran has played a combined 65 minutes the past two games as the Hawks are also without Horford (torn right pectoral muscle) for the season and Pero Antic (right ankle stress fracture).
Ayon has seen team doctors, underwent an MRI exam and is on a track of rest and recovery.
Antic is progressing in his recovery. Although Antic said he will be back “soon,” Ferry indicated there are still several steps in the rehabilitation process that he must clear.
DeMarre Carroll (strained left hamstring) and Jeff Teague (sprained left ankle) both traveled to Detroit on Thursday. Their status will be updated Friday. The Hawks could recall guard Jared Cunningham from the NBA Development League to help replenish their thinned ranks.
