UPDATE: The Hawks announced the Tim Hardaway Jr. assignment on Monday. He will play for the Austin Spurs.
The Hawks have assigned Tim Hardaway Jr. to the NBA Development League, according to a person familiar with the situation. Hardaway will be assigned to a team based on the league’s flexible assignment system. The Austin Spurs is a likely destination as the Hawks have an on-going relationship with the D-League franchise this season.
It will be the second D-League stint for Hardaway. He played two games for the Canton Charge earlier this month and averaged 17 points on a 27.6 shooting percentage, with two rebounds and two assists.
Hardaway has appeared in just four games this season and averaged 2.5 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 11.1 minutes.
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer spoke of Hardaway Saturday morning prior to the game against the Knicks, where he played for two seasons before being acquired for a first-round pick during the NBA Draft in June.
“I can promise you he is doing well and he is in a good place,” Budenholzer said. “A lot of it has been his approach to it. He’s been very professional. There is a real emphasis on player development with us and we’ve seen guys who have come in and maybe not started out gangbusters but through work, time and effort they find a way. I was say he is following that path in a very good way.”
The Hawks considered playing time, even in the D-League, a valuable part of their player development system.
The Austin Spurs play three times in the coming week. They host the Santa Cruz Warriors on Tuesday and Wednesday (both games at 8:30 p.m. ET), and the Reno Bighorns on Saturday (8 p.m.). The Hawks play at the Pacers and Rockets on Monday and Tuesday and then are off until playing at the Knicks on Sunday.
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