Atlanta Hawks second round draft acquision Lamar Patterson has signed a contract with Tofas Basketball Club in Turkey for the 2014-15 season.
Patterson was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 48th overall pick in June, then traded to Atlanta for a 2015 second-round pick. The Hawks will keep his draft rights as he goes overseas.
Patterson averaged six points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals in six summer league games for Atlanta. He opted for Europe instead of what would have likely been a Training Camp invite, a safe move for the youngster with a mostly veteran group of guards ahead of him on the Hawks depth chart.
"I am excited about heading to Tofas in Turkey this season," Patterson said in a statement Tuesday. "The Turkish league is extremely competitive and the team also plays in a great international league called EuroChallenge. My goal absolutely remains to play for the Hawks and this is an important step to help me get there. I am going to continue working extremely hard this year and I will come back as an improved player who is ready to contribute in any way possible to help the Hawks win games."
The former Pittsburgh Panther got off to a nice start in Summer League, but he struggled with his shot as the week wore on. He's a gifted offensive player, and as we saw in Las Vegas, he also plays very good perimeter defense.
“Lamar is in a good position to continue his development while playing meaningful minutes for a strong professional program next season," President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry said. "We have a great respect for the international game and will be closely monitoring Lamar’s progress with Tofas.”
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Story by Jaryd Wilson