Cartier Martin is thankful for another chance in Atlanta. Not that he wanted to leave in the first place.
The Hawks signed the small forward to a 10-day contract Saturday. He spent the first 25 games of the season with the Hawks, but was released Jan. 7 before his contract became guaranteed. Martin played out two 10-day contracts with the Bulls before re-signing with the Hawks.
“It’s a little disappointing, but at the end of the day it’s a business, and you can’t take it personal with their point of view,” Martin said. “You have to keep working and move on to the next step.
“It was a tough decision to make to (sign with the Bulls). It was just something that after talking to my family and my agent it was another opportunity to be seen on a different stage. You never know what can happen. You had to work for yourself. I didn’t want to leave these guys. I would have loved to stay here in Atlanta.”
Martin’s 10-day contract expires Feb. 10. If he were to immediately sign a second deal, it would expire Feb. 20, the NBA’s trade deadline.
Martin did not appear in Saturday’s win over the Timberwolves in his first game back. In his 25 games with the Hawks he averaged 6.6 points in 17.5 minutes.
“I’m going to work harder now than when I was here before,” Martin said.
Cunningham re-assigned: The Hawks re-assigned Jared Cunningham to the NBA Development League on Tuesday. It will be the guard's fourth stint with the team's affiliate, the Bakersfield (Calif.) Jam.
Cunningham appeared in two of four games with the Hawks since his latest recall Jan. 25. He scored two points in 14 minutes in games against the Bucks and 76ers.
Out of sync: In the Hawks' 97-87 victory over the Pacers on Jan. 8, Paul Millsap had more rebounds (six) and assists (five) than points (four). The newly minted All-Star forward said the game was more an anomaly than a function of the Pacers' defense.
“That game I just wasn’t in sync, to be honest with you,” Millsap said Tuesday morning before the rematch between the teams.
Wake-up call: Millsap said he received two phone calls last week informing him that he was selected an All-Star reserve. The first came from coach Mike Budenholzer. The second came from Dominique Wilkins, the Hawks legend now serving as the team's TV analyst and as a team vice president.
