The Hawks may soon turn to the NBA Development League to help with a crowded roster and to get playing time for young players.
The Hawks currently have the 15-player roster maximum. That includes John Jenkins, Mike Muscala and Adreian Payne, all of whom have yet to play a minute this season.
Jenkins, the third-year guard coming off back surgery, is healthy but has been inactive all three games.
Muscala, the center under a partially guaranteed contract, has been active in each game but has been stuck on the bench behind Al Horford, Elton Brand and Pero Antic.
Payne, the rookie first-round draft pick forward/center, has been inactive all three games, the last two with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
“It’s hard to say right now but I think what I’m very comfortable saying is I do believe in the D-League,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said this week when asked about the possibility of assigning players. “I believe in taking advantage of opportunities. Young players need to play. If we can play them in our games, that’s probably better but it’s hard to get everybody in. We have a lot of good choices, a lot of good options. If the time is right and it’s appropriate, I very much believe in the D-League.”
The new D-League assignment process can get complicated with all but one singly-affiliated team. The Hawks share the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the lone independent, with 12 other NBA teams.
According to new rules, the Mad Ants can have a maximum of four players or two at one position from the NBA on the roster. If that is the case, the D-League will identify the singly-affiliated teams willing to accept the assigned player from which the NBA team can choose. If no singly-affiliated D-League team is willing to accept the assigned player, he will be assigned by lottery.
Ideally, the Hawks would like an assigned player on a team that runs a similar system. In their case, the Spurs-affiliated Austin Toros would be a desired destination.
The Hawks have used the D-League in recent years to get playing time for young players, such as Mike Scott, Dennis Schroder, Jared Cunningham and Jenkins, when the team was affiliated with the Bakersfield (Calif.) Jam.
Players in the first three years in the NBA may be assigned to the D-League an unlimited number of times. Beyond that, players may be assigned only with the their consent and that of the NBA Players Association.
D-League teams are in the process of determining their rosters over the next two weeks following last Saturday’s draft. The Mad Ants are currently in training camp in preparation for their season-opener Nov. 15.
No assignment by the Hawks is imminent but the D-League remains a likely possibility in the future.
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