Atlanta Hawks officially announce Kirk Hinrich trade

Confusion reigned as the trade deadline came and went for the Atlanta Hawks who acquired veteran guard Kirk Hinrich and also opened a roster spot in a three-way trade that also involved the Utah Jazz. The Hawks formerly announced the deal earlier this evening and cleared up some of the confusion over the details.

The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club has acquired guard Kirk Hinrich from the Chicago Bulls in a three-team trade with guard Shelvin Mack going to the Utah Jazz and the Bulls receiving guard Justin Holiday along with a future second-round pick (from Utah via Denver), it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach Mike Budenholzer.

On the surface, this trade doesn't do a lot in the short term for the Hawks. Shelvin Mack was buried on the bench behind Jeff Teague and Dennis Schröder and he goes to Utah where he will now have an opportunity to compete for playing time. Mack's contract contains a team option for next season and it was unlikely to be picked up by the Hawks.

Atlanta picks up Kirk Hinrich who at 35, simply isn't the same player that he was during his first stint with the Hawks. Still he is a veteran presence who has the reputation as a good defender that can fill in at both guard spots in a pinch. It remains to be seen whether or not he can work his way into any consistent playing time.

By moving Holiday to Chicago, Atlanta opened up a roster spot which might be the most significant part of today's deal. With Tiago Splitter out for the season due to hip surgery, the Hawks now have the flexibility to pursue some frontcourt depth on the free agent market. Several players will become buyout candidates after not being moved at the deadline and that will strengthen the current free agent market somewhat.