Addition of Adonis Thomas brings Hawks roster to 20 for training camp

Mar 20, 2013; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Memphis Tigers guard/forward Adonis Thomas (4) addresses the media during practice the day before the second round of the 2013 NCAA tournament at The Palace. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been an extremely active off-season for Danny Ferry and the Hawks, and even when everyone thought they were done, another addition emerged.

According to various reports, the Hawks have extended a training camp invite to former Memphis swingman Adonis Thomas, and he has accepted to bring the total roster to 20 players for next week’s camp. Thomas joins David Lighty, Eric Dawson, Royal Ivey, James Johnson, and Damien Wilkins as non-roster invitees, but he’ll provide a unique skill set that the Hawks don’t currently possess.

Thomas is a 6-foot-7 hybrid guard/forward, but he is one of the best pure athletes you can imagine on a basketball court. He has been measured with a vertical jump north of 40 inches, and has a 7-foot wingspan to boot from the wing position. That type of physical makeup lends itself to the (small) possibility that he could be a wing stopper down the road on defense, but he hasn’t lived up to the considerable pub that accompanied him to Memphis.

To be frank, I don’t think Thomas will make the final roster (and that further illustrates the kind of blunder he made by leaving Memphis early), but he does bring something that the Hawks don’t currently have. The wing is a bit light in the depth department (to be kind), and I like this flier from Ferry and company.

Camp begins on Tuesday, and we’ll be here to guide you every step of the way as the Hawks push toward regular season basketball. Stay tuned!