R.J. Hunter back in town to play for the Skyhawks

Atlanta Hawks guard R.J. Hunter (4) dribbles during an exhibition NBA game against the Miami Heat, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Credit: Lynne Sladky

Credit: Lynne Sladky

Atlanta Hawks guard R.J. Hunter (4) dribbles during an exhibition NBA game against the Miami Heat, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Former Georgia State star R.J. Hunter is joining the Hawks’ G League affiliate.

The College Park Skyhawks signed Hunter after he played earlier this year for Turk Telekom, a team based in Ankara that plays in the Turkish Basketball Super League.

Hunter was a first-round draft pick of the Boston Celtics in 2015 and has played four seasons in the NBA (45 games) with the Celtics, Bulls and Rockets and averaged 3.0 points per game.

He did, however, score 17 points off the bench for the Celtics in his most recent NBA game, the finale of the 2018-19 season. That was the only NBA game for Hunter in the 2018-19 season. In the 2018 preseason, Hunter took part in training camp with the Hawks.

Over four seasons of play in the G League, Hunter has career averages of 18.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks in 31.6 minutes per game.

Hunter is Georgia State’s all-time scoring leader, with 1,819 points. In three seasons for the Panthers, Hunter averaged 18.4 points in 99 games. Georgia State advanced to the NCAA tournament in 2015, snapping a 14-year drought. In the Panthers’ first-round upset of No. 3-seed Baylor, Hunter made a 3-point shot with 2.7 seconds to play in a 57-56 victory. Those were three of his 16 points. He then scored 20 in Georgia State’s second-round loss to Xavier.

The Skyhawks play Delaware at 7 p.m. Friday at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park.