Brandon

ATLANTA, GA (July 23, 2003) ----- Atlanta Hawks Director of Basketball Operations and interim General Manager Billy Knight tonight announced that the organization has obtained the contract and services of All-Star guard Terrell Brandon from the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a blockbuster, four-team trade and will send All-Star forward Glenn Robinson to the Philadelphia 76ers. In a related matter involving future draft picks, the Hawks will also get Philadelphia’s first round pick in the 2007 NBA Draft and send a second round selection to the Sixers in 2006.

Other parts of the deal include the New York Knicks sending All-Star guard Latrell Sprewell to the Timberwolves, with Minnesota trading center Marc Jackson to Philadelphia, and the Knicks getting forward Keith Van Horn from the Sixers.

Recognizing the need to create future long-term flexibility, the deal provides the franchise with immediate salary cap room to pursue other possibilities, according to Knight.

“We feel strongly that we need to make some fundamental changes to our team and this will enable us to do just that,” Knight said. “Whether it’s the rest of this summer or next season, we will now have more options than we would’ve had had we not pursued this opportunity.”

Once considered one of the league’s premier point guards, Brandon missed all of last season and hasn’t seen action since his 32-game stint in 2001-02 following surgery to repair a cartilage fracture on the surface of his left femur. It is believed that the injury is career-threatening and could force him to retire.

Originally selected as the 11th overall pick by Cleveland in the first round of 1991 NBA Draft, he spent six seasons with Cavaliers before he was traded to the Timberwolves along with Tyrone Hill to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-way deal in which the Bucks sent Sherman Douglas to the Cavaliers, and sent Vin Baker to Seattle for Shawn Kemp prior to the start of the 1997-98 campaign.

After two years in Milwaukee, Brandon was part of another three-way deal involving Minnesota and New Jersey on March 11, 1999. Along with Brandon, the Timberwolves picked up the services of Brian Davis, a 1999 first-round draft pick and an undisclosed draft choice from New Jersey, who in turn sent Sam Cassell and Chris Gatling to the Bucks.

He has averaged 13.8 points, 6.1 assists and 1.58 steals in 724 games, and is currently six points shy of reaching the career 10,000-point plateau. In 11 years, Brandon played in two NBA All-Star games - both as a member of the Cavaliers - in 1995-96 and 1996-97. At the end of that season he was selected the league’s recipient of the Sportsmanship Award, designed to honor a player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court.

Robinson ranked among the NBA’s leaders in the following categories last year - scoring (t19th), FT% (11th) and player efficiency (t35th) - en route to leading the Hawks in points scored and average (20.8 ppg) and finishing second in both assists and steals, and third in rebounds (6.6 rpg).

He won the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Week award for games October 28 through November 3 after starting the season with three consecutive 30-point contests. The nine-year veteran was traded to the Hawks on August 2 of last year by Milwaukee for Toni Kukoc and a 2003 first round draft pick.

“Glenn did a nice job for us last season as our leading scorer and he is a proven NBA player. We wish him a lot of success in Philadelphia,” said Knight.

Holcomb

In addition, the Hawks will also gain the rights to forward Randy Holcomb, a former 2002 second round pick of the San Antonio Spurs, who is currently participating in the Salt Lake City Rocky Mountain Revue as a member of the Sixers’ summer league team. He has past professional experience with Wroclaw in the Polish League (2002).