The Atlanta Hawks’ busy offseason continued Sunday when the organization signed 32-year-old point guard Jarrett Jack to a 1-year deal worth the veteran’s minimum, or approximately $1 million. Atlanta sports fans will remember Jack from his playing days with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from 2002-2005. He went on to be a first round draft pick and has established himself as a scoring guard in the league for several teams, both as a starter and sixth man.

In 32 games with the Brooklyn Nets last season, he averaged 12.8 points, 7.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds before tearing his ACL and meniscus. The team attempted to trade Jack after the season but evidently weren’t interested in the return, and he was waived just before free agency began. The injury would normally be worrying, especially at his age, but the Hawks will not expect him to play huge minutes and sacrificed very little money for the move.

This does put the roster at 16 players, so one player currently under contract will have to be released in the coming days. Likely candidates include former second-round pick Lamar Patterson and rotation big Mike Scott, who is dealing with legal issues.

Source; Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Jack and Georgia Tech fighting against Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) 

Jack’s place in Atlanta’s system

Jack’s role with the Hawks will largely have to do with how well he bounces back from his injury and is able to stay healthy. The organization signed former Virginia Tech and successful Euroleague guard Malcolm Delaney a few days prior and believe he is ready to produce right away. For now, Jack could be considered the third point guard until he proves he’s ready for a number of minutes closer to the 32 he got per game with Brooklyn.

This is a very low-risk, high-reward contract for the Hawks and provides the team with much-needed guard depth following the departure of longtime starter Jeff Teague. If Jack recovers nicely from surgery, he will be a source of experience and offense to back up the less experienced Dennis Schroder. If things don’t work out, the deal is for only one year and less than $1 million, and Malcolm Delaney may see more of the action. Either way, he is another Atlanta resident who has “come home” this offseason along with center Dwight Howard and should become a fan favorite.

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About the author
Austin  McConnell
Sport Management/Economics student at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill who writes primarily on the Atlanta Hawks