The Atlanta Hawks have released 24-year old rookie guard Donald Sloan.  Sloan played in 5 games (0 starts) for the Hawks this year and he averaged 4.0 minutes, 1.2 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.0 assist per game.  He only shot 37.5% from the floor but he didn’t really have much of a chance to get into a groove shooting the ball.  The Hawks weren’t going to use Sloan much this season anyway as they are pretty loaded at the guard spots.  They won’t miss him.

The Hawks have signed 30-year old shooting guard Willie Green.  Green played in 77 games (13 starts) for the Hornets last year and he averaged 21.7 minutes, 8.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.  He has now played in 499 games (224 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 21.7 minutes, 9.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.  This was a solid signing for the Hawks as Green should have been signed by someone else already.

The Hawks have signed 32-year old point guard Jannero Pargo.  Pargo didn’t play in any games for the Bulls last year.  He has now played in 378 games (18 starts) so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 15.8 minutes, 6.6 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.  Pargo will backup Jeff Teague at point guard until Kirk Hinrich is ready to return to action.

The Hawks have signed 37-year old shooting guard Jerry Stackhouse to a 1-year deal.  Stackhouse played in 7 games (1 start) for the Heat last year and he averaged 7.1 minutes, 1.7 points, 1.0 rebound and 0.4 assists per game.  He has now played in 903 games (564 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 32.6 minutes, 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.  The Hawks are just taking a flier on Stackhouse, to see if he has anything left in the gas tank.

The Hawks have signed 31-year old forward Vladimir Radmanovic to a 1-year deal.  Radmanovic played in 74 games (6 starts) for the Warriors last year and he averaged 15.8 minutes, 5.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.  He shot 40.5% from three point range last year which probably appealed to the Hawks.  He has now played in 663 games (210 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 23.0 minutes, 8.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

The Hawks have re-signed 33-year old center Jason Collins to a 1-year deal.  Collins played in 49 games (28 starts) for the Hawks last year and he averaged 12.1 minutes, 2.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  He has now played in 645 games (457 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 21.9 minutes, 3.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.  The Hawks only expect rebounding and defense out of Collins when he’s on the floor.

The Atlanta Hawks have signed 32-year old shooting guard Tracy McGrady for 1 year deal for the veteran’s minimum.  McGrady played in 72 games (39 starts) for the Pistons last year and he averaged 23.4 minutes, 8.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.  T-Mac has now played in 886 games (703 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 33.7 minutes, 20.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game.  T-Mac’s deal will become official on Friday.  The Hawks hope that McGrady will give them an offensive  spark off  the bench in 2011-12, and he comes at the right price.

The Hawks took 22-year old, 6’11″, 230 pound center Keith Benson out of Oakland with the 48th overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft.  Benson played in 35 games for Oakland last year and he averaged 32.4 minutes, 17.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 3.6 blocked shots per game.  He played in 135 games in his four years in college and he averaged 26.8 minutes, 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 2.7 blocked shots per game.  Benson should be able to add toughness, defense and rebounding to the Hawks when he is on the basketball court.  The Hawks have to be pleased with this pick because Benson should have been long gone by #48.

UPDATE:  (12/23/2011) – The Hawks have waived Keith Benson.

The Atlanta Hawks have acquired 30-year old PG/SG Kirk Hinrich and 26-year old center Hilton Armstrong from the Washington Wizards for 32-year old point guard Mike Bibby, 32-year old SG/SF Maurice Evans, 22-year old rookie shooting guard Jordan Crawford and a 1st round pick.  Hinrich will likely replace Mike Bibby as the starting point guard for the Hawks.  Hinrich played in 48 games (29 starts) for the Wizards this season and he averaged 30.6 minutes, 11.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game.  He has now played in 562 games (462 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 33.8 minutes, 13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game.  Hilton Armstrong played in 41 games (2 starts) for the Wizards last season and he averaged 10.0 minutes, 1.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game.  He has now played in 265 games (39 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 12.1 minutes, 3.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.  Armstrong gives the Hawks another big body but that’s about it.

Mike Bibby played in 56 games (all starts) for the Hawks this year and he averaged 29.9 minutes, 9.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.  The Hawks will miss his 44.1% shooting from three point range.  Bibby was slowing down though and Hinrich will be an upgrade.  Maurice Evans played in 47 games (12 starts) for the Hawks this season and he averaged 17.8 minutes, 4.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.  Evans doesn’t seem to have much left in the gas tank.  Jordan Crawford was the Hawks’ first round pick last June.  He played in 16 games (0 starts) for the Hawks this season and he averaged 10.0 minutes, 4.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.  Crawford was only shooting 35.1% from the floor for the Hawks this year.

In dealing Jordan Crawford and a first round pick for the Hinrich, the Hawks essentially traded two first rounders for him.  They better hope Hinrich steps up for them or they might regret making this deal down the road.

The Atlanta Hawks have waived 30-year old SG/SF Damien Wilkins.  Wilkins played in 13 games (0 starts) for the Hawks this year and he averaged 13.1 minutes, 2.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.  Damien won’t go down in Hawks’ history like his uncle Dominique “The Human Highlight Film” Wilkins did.  The Hawks won’t miss him too much as they have a lot of depth on the bench.

UPDATE:  (1/8/2011) – The Hawks have re-signed Damien Wilkins to a 10-day contract.