The Hawks came out of the NBA trade deadline with two open roster spots – but they won’t stay vacant for long.
The Hawks will sign both Lamar Patterson and Ryan Kelly to end-of-season contracts, according to a person familiar with the situation. Both players spent time with the Hawks this season. They are expected to be in uniform when the Hawks host the Heat on Friday in their first game back from the All-Star break. The moves will give the Hawks a maximum of 15 players.
Patterson, a former Hawks player, recently signed two 10-day contracts with the team. The last contract expired on Feb. 17, during the NBA All-Star break.
Patterson was a call-up from the NBA Development League where he was playing for Reno. He played 28 games, including 27 starts, and averaged 24.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 35.8 minutes for the Big Horns. While with the Hawks, Patterson appeared in four games and averaged 2.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 7.5 minutes.
Kelly was with the Hawks during training camp but released before the regular season on Oct. 18. He was brought back and signed on Oct. 31. He was later waived on Jan. 6.
Kelly played seven games, all starts, for Maine of the D-League. He averaged 27.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 35.8 minutes for the Red Claws. While with the Hawks, Kelly appeared in nine games and averaged 1.1 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 5.2 minutes.
The Hawks had one open roster spot at the trade deadline after not immediately signing Patterson for the remainder of the season. They created a second open roster spot by trading Mike Scott to the Suns Thursday.
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