Jason Richardson: Hawks Sign Vet to Non-Guaranteed Deal

The Atlanta Hawks have signed veteran guardJason Richardsonto 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 Hawkswill sign Jason Richardson on Monday, and he will compete for a spot on the roster in training camp, going againstLamar PattersonandTerran 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.

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Following the departure ofDeMarre Carrollto 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 ofMike 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.

Betsided

Another aspect of this signing for the Hawks is that it follows the retirement ofElton 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 asJustin HolidayandTim 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

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