Report: Damion Lee to sign for rest of season with Hawks

Per a report from ESPN’s Chris Haynes, Damion Lee will sign a full contract to remain with the Hawks for the rest of the season:

Lee would have become a free agent at midnight tonight with the expiration of his 10-day contract, but the Hawks have come to an agreement with him to keep him in Atlanta for at least the rest of this season. Lee has started the last seven games for Atlanta as injuries have ravaged the Hawks’ backcourt and will be rewarded for his fine play during his 20 days (players can sign up to two 10-day contracts with a team before they either have to be signed to a rest-of-season contract or let go).

Per the report, the contract will only last for the rest of this season, meaning that Lee will be a free agent come July 1st. The Hawks will hold his restricted rights, but unlike the contracts of Antonius Cleveland and Jaylen Morris, Atlanta will not hold a non-guaranteed second year in this case. Lee and his representatives seem to have leveraged his better play into becoming a free agent sooner than his fellow former 10-day signees.

The Hawks also recently signed Jeremy Evans from their G League affiliate in Erie and there was some speculation that Evans wouldn’t sign until Lee’s 10-day contract ended due to roster constraints, but it’s now certain that the Hawks applied for and received a hardship exception to sign Evans to a 16th full roster spot.