MARCH 13: The Hawks have officially signed Lee to a 10-day deal, the team announced today in a press release. It will run through next Thursday (March 22).
MARCH 12: The Hawks are expected to add yet another player on a 10-day contract. G League guard Damion Lee will become the latest player to ink a deal with Atlanta, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN (Twitter link).
Lee, who played his college ball at the University of Louisville, went undrafted in 2016 and signed a camp contract with the Celtics. He spent most of his rookie season playing for the Maine Red Claws (Boston’s G League affiliate) before joining the Santa Cruz Warriors (Golden State’s affiliate) for the 2017/18 season.
In 38 games this season for Santa Cruz, Lee has averaged 15.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 2.6 APG. He has struggled a little with his outside shot, seeing his 3PT% dip to .305 after posting a .466 mark in 16 G League contests last season.
The Hawks currently have one open roster spot, so they can sign Lee without waiving anyone. Atlanta was already the only NBA team with multiple players currently on 10-day deals, with Antonius Cleveland and Jaylen Morris both on those short-term contracts. Morris will reportedly miss the next two to four weeks with an ankle injury though, so it’s not clear if the Hawks will keep him on the roster throughout his recovery, or if they’ll move on.
Liked him a lot in summer league with the Heat before he got the camp deal with Boston. Good to see he recovered from that 2nd ACL. I felt like he reminded me of Gerald Green, but with a smarter IQ, and more natural defensive competitiveness