Kent Bazemore returned.
Taurean Price finally arrived.
Jeff Teague left.
The Hawks made several pending roster moves official after the end of the NBA moratorium on Thursday. There are still at least two more to go with the signings of Dwight Howard to a three-year, $70.5 million deal and Malcolm Delaney to a two-year, $1.4 million deal. Those announcements could come in the coming days.
Bazemore, the Hawks’ starting small forward, was an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He wasted little time in returning to the Hawks as he agreed to a four-year, $70 million contact on the first day of the NBA free agency period.
“We are excited to re-sign Kent and welcome him back to the Hawks,” Hawks President of Basketball Operations/coach Mike Budenholzer said in a statement released by the team with the announcement. “His passion for the game is contagious and through his tireless work ethic, he has developed into a dynamic two-way player. We look forward to his continued development with us.”
Bazemore, 27, set single-season career highs nearly every statistical category last season, his second with the Hawks after signing as a free agent in 2014. He averaged 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 27.8 minutes in 75 games, including 68 starts last season.
The Hawks also completed the three-team trade, with the parameters agreed upon before the NBA Draft last month, which sent long-time starting point guard Teague to the Pacers. The Hawks got the draft rights to Prince from the Jazz after they selected him, at Atlanta’s bequest, with the No. 12 overall pick. The deal also saw the Pacers send George Hill to the Jazz.
“Taurean has many of the qualities that we value in our program,” Hawks general manager Wes Wilcox said in a statement. “We are excited to add his competitiveness, toughness, versatility, and desire to improve. We would also like to thank Coach Scott Drew and Baylor Basketball for their help throughout the scouting process. Taurean is eager to get started and we look forward to beginning his development with our coaches and athletic performance team.”
Prince, a 6-foot-8 forward, played four seasons at Baylor. He averaged 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 34 games as a senior and was named First Team All-Big 12. The 22-year old joins the Hawks in time to compete in the Las Vegas Summer League, which begins Friday.
In trading Teague, the Hawks parted ways with their starting point guard and key member of the team since he was drafted in 2009.
Teague appeared in 518 regular-season and 62 postseason games with the Hawks in his seven seasons. He averaged 12.1 points, 5.2 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals during his tenure, which included an All-Star Game selection in 2015.
“I would like to thank Jeff for his seven years with the organization, and our three years together,” Budenholzer said in a statement. “Jeff developed into a key contributor and played an integral role in the team’s recent success. We wish him well in the next chapter of his career.”
Teague, 28, returns home to Indianapolis, where he went to Pike High School before attending Wake Forest.
“With Jeff, we think he brings something we haven’t had in a true point guard,” Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird said in a statement. “We think he fits in with what we’re trying to do. He has speed, the ability to create for others and he can score. We look forward to working with him.”
The Hawks also lost four-time All-Star Al Horford in free agency. The center agreed to a four-year, $113 million deal with the Celtics on Saturday. Horford will be introduced in Boston in a news conference at 10 a.m. Friday.
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