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Various outlets reported last week that the Atlanta Hawks were one of the teams that called the Orlando Magic about forward Hedo Turkoglu. Trade talks obviously went nowhere and Turkoglu was eventually waived by the Magic. However, with 10-day contracts starting on Monday and with non-guaranteed deals becoming guaranteed on Friday, will the Hawks still be interested?
First things first, Atlanta currently has a full 15 man roster but they also have three players whose deals are not guaranteed. Two of them, Shelvin Mack and Mike Scott, are currently in their nine man rotation and aren't going anywhere. The other is Cartier Martin who has seen his playing time all but vanish thanks to an ankle injury and the return of Lou Williams.
The Hawks have until Friday to waive any of the three non-guaranteed players or will be on the hook for the remainder of their salaries for the rest of the season. 10-day contracts begin in the NBA on Monday which will provide teams with free spots on their roster the opportunity to add a player for short term help. League rules state that players may sign two 10-day contracts with the same NBA club. At the end of the second 10-day contract they must be signed for the remainder of the season. That is exactly the scenario Atlanta used to acquire Mack last season.
Back to Turkoglu. I wouldn't be surprised to hear rumors pick up again this week especially if the Hawks open up a roster spot. Its no secret that the Hawks need help at the small forward position and adding a legit sized small forward would be a plus.
But is that answer Turkoglu who has played a total of 64 games in the last two seasons? He has been unimpressive for a while now but was exactly the kind of player that would have seemed like a good fit with this current Hawks team. He is reportedly working out in Florida and trying to get himself ready for a return to the NBA. The Lakers are the other team that is rumored to have interest.
The point is if a roster move is to be made before the trade deadline then this is the week. Once Friday's deadline comes and goes the Hawks would still be able to waive a player but would owe the remainder of that player's contract. So stay tuned.