Jason Richardson: Hawks Sign Vet to Non-Guaranteed Deal

The Atlanta Hawks have signed veteran guard Jason Richardson to a non-guaranteed deal going into training camp, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reports.

Jason Richardson, 34, played only 19 games with the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2014-2015 season following knee surgery, averaging 9.1 points per game in 21.9 minutes on the court. An excellent long-range shooter throughout his long 14-year career in the NBA, Jason Richardson shot 32.9 percent from beyond the arc last season and is a 37.1 percent three-point shooter for his career.

-= Related: Atlanta Hawks: Who Replaces Mike Scott in the Rotation? =-

The Atlanta Hawks will sign Jason Richardson on Monday, and he will compete for a spot on the roster in training camp, going against Lamar Patterson and Terran Petteway. Richardson is no longer the prolific scorer he was in the beginning of his career, but could still contribute valuable minutes coming off the bench for Mike Budenholzer’s squad.

More from Atlanta Hawks

• Atlanta Hawks Sweep Back-to-Back Games Over Weekend
• Atlanta Hawks Look to Continue Momentum Tonight Against Portland
• Joel Embiid Leads Sixers Over Hawks On Monday Night
• Atlanta Hawks: John Collins Playing His Best Basketball Of Season
• Atlanta Hawks Win Second Straight Against the Dallas Mavericks

Following the departure of DeMarre Carroll to the Toronto Raptors in Free Agency, the Atlanta Hawks’ front-office has made it abundantly clear that they will have to get creative to find a way to fill the void left at the wing by Carroll. The signing of Richardson was a low-risk and potentially high-reward move by the Hawks to attempt to solidify their depth at the wing.

Also, in light of Mike Scott‘s recent arrest and likely release by the Hawks, Richardson’s addition to the training camp roster provides the Hawks with another scoring option to potentially come off the bench. Jason Richardson may not be able to create his own shot anymore after being slowed by injuries over the past few seasons, but could still find time to be a more than capable three-point threat coming off the bench for a team contending in the Eastern Conference.

Live Feed

Betsided

Another aspect of this signing for the Hawks is that it follows the retirement of Elton Brand, who was a veteran presence on the squad for the past two seasons. Jason Richardson can follow in Brand’s footsteps and assume the role of a veteran leader in the Atlanta Hawks’ locker room, mentoring young players with similar abilities such as Justin Holiday and Tim Hardaway, Jr., who were also added to the Hawks’ depth chart this off-season.

While the signing of Jason Richardson is not likely to turn any heads, it is another creative move by the Hawks’ brass to try to replace Carroll and Scott’s production. Hopefully J-Rich can rekindle some youth this season and provide the Hawks with another three-point threat off the bench.

Next: Atlanta Hawks: New Regime Will Help Bud in Year 3

More from ATL All Day

• Atlanta Braves: Felix Has Already Shown Enough to Win a Rotation Spot
• Atlanta Braves Implode Late To Phillies, Cole Hamels Remains Sidelined
• Kyle Wright Shines As Folty Struggles In Atlanta Braves Loss To Red Sox
• Atlanta Hawks Sweep Back-to-Back Games Over Weekend
• Atlanta Braves: Grapefruit League Play Check Up