Hawks sign, waive forward Chris Silva [updated]

The Hawks have reportedly agreed to terms with their 21st and final training camp contract, and it’s a familiar one to the organization. According to Brad Rowland of the Locked on Hawks podcast and Uproxx, Chris Silva has signed with the Atlanta Hawks on an Exhibit 10 contract.

Chris Silva, a big man who played his collegiate ball at South Carolina, played for the Hawks in the 2022 Preseason leading up to last season. The team waived him before opening day, however, and he soon found himself with the G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. Silva went on to average 14.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in 22 games with the Skyhawks last season.

Exhibit 10 contracts allow for teams to bring in players in the offseason on a mostly unguaranteed contract to give the team a full squad in preseason, as I explained here. It’s highly likely that by the conclusion of training camp the player is waived, but the contract allows for teams to retain their G League rights if they choose. This was the same mechanism used for Silva this time last year.

This signing signals a full 21-man training camp roster for the team, with 15 standard contract players, three two-way players, and joining Exhibit 10 players Jarkel Joiner and David Singleton who were both members of the 2023 Atlanta Hawks Las Vegas Summer League just a few months ago. Silva played for the Dallas Mavericks during this period, averaging just 4.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in four contests.

Update — 4:25 PM, September 27, 2023

After officially announcing the signing Monday, the Hawks have now on Wednesday requested waivers on Chris Silva. Silva can now join the G League affiliate College Park Skyhawks instead of heading overseas, for example, and as an incentive for joining the affiliate, should he remain on the active roster there for at least 60 days, he can earn up to $75,000 per the terms of a standard Exhibit 10 contract.