Peachtree Hoops: Hawks reportedly sign Ray Spalding to non-guaranteed contract

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Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Another big man for training camp, at the very least.

The Atlanta Hawks made big-time headlines with their activity during the 2019 NBA Draft but, when free agency arrived, things were quieter. Travis Schlenk and company did tab Jabari Parker to provide offensive punch off the bench but, with the exception of a Two-Way contract for 23-year-old guard Brandon Goodwin, the transaction game has chilled in accordance with league-wide trends. Now, though, the Hawks have reportedly added a 14th player to the mix, coming to terms with Ray Spalding on a partially guaranteed contract, per a report from The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner:

The Hawks are signing Ray Spalding to a partially guaranteed deal, sources tell @TheAthleticATL and @TheAthleticNBA.

— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) July 25, 2019

Spalding was a late second-round pick in the 2018 draft and spent last season split between Dallas and Phoenix before the latter declined his option for 2019-20 and made him a free agent. The 22-year-old center played his college ball at Louisville before playing sparingly in the NBA last season. Most of his professional experience comes with the Texas Legends of the G League, where he averaged an impressive 15.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game across nearly 900 total minutes. He was a strong defensive player in the G League as well, having averaged 1.7 steals and 2.2 blocks per game.

Spalding’s contract is likely to be an Exhibit 10 deal, which means the team will have him around in training camp but by no means is tied to him for the upcoming season. Should the contract be guaranteed for $50,000 or less, then the Hawks would have the opportunity to retain Spalding on their G League team, which will begin play in College Park this season after two years in Erie, PA.

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