Justin Holiday

Atlanta Hawks

Hawks Complete Trade with Sacramento Kings; Acquire Justin Holiday, Maurice Harkless and a Future First Round Pick, in Exchange for Kevin Huerter 

ATLANTA&nbsp;– The Atlanta Hawks acquired guard Justin Holiday, forward Maurice Harkless and a future first round pick, in exchange for guard Kevin Huerter, the team announced today.

“In acquiring Justin and Moe, we add two defensive-minded, quality veterans who can help our team on the court and in the locker room,” said Hawks President of Basketball Operations Travis Schlenk. “We would like to thank Kevin for his contributions, both on and off the court. He grew as a player and person in his four seasons with us and we wish him the best in Sacramento.”

Holiday, who was acquired by Sacramento on Feb. 8 in a trade with the Indiana Pacers, appeared in 74 total games during the 2021-22 season (65 starts), averaging 10.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 27.8 minutes (.394 FG%, .367 3FG%, .806 FT%).

He put in 10-or-more points on 37 occasions this past season, including pouring in a season-high 27 points on 9-11 shooting from the field and a 6-8 mark from three-point territory in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 13. Holiday’s .818 field goal percentage in the victory marked a career-high clip from the floor (min. 10 FGA).

From the 2018-19 campaign through the 2020-21 season, the 6-6 guard saw action in every game (227 total games, 135 starts). Holiday brings nine years of NBA playing experience to the Hawks, having suited up for the Philadelphia 76ers (2012-13), Golden State Warriors (2014-15), Atlanta Hawks (2015-16), Chicago Bulls (2015-16, 2017-18), New York Knicks (2016-17), Memphis Grizzlies (2018-19), Indiana Pacers (2019-22) and Sacramento Kings (2021-22).

He has appeared in 576 games (285 starts), tallying 8.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 24.6 minutes (.398 FG%, .365 3FG%, .820 FT%). He has also seen action in nine postseason games (two starts), registering 3.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in 15.8 minutes (.478 FG%, .529 3FG%).

Holiday brings international playing experience to Atlanta, having played for Okapi Aalstar (2011-12, Belgium) and Szolnoki Olaj (2013-14, Hungary). The Chatsworth, California, native suited up for the Washington Huskies from 2007-11, earning a spot on the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team in 2010. Holiday’s younger brother, Aaron, was recently signed by the Atlanta Hawks, while his other brother, Jrue, is a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Harkless appeared in 47 games (24 starts) for the Kings during the 2021-22 season, notching 4.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in 18.4 minutes (.459 FG%, .307 3FG%, .714 FT%). He recorded a double-double in a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 5, tallying a season-high tying 18 points on 7-14 shooting from the floor, including a 4-8 clip from the three-point line, and a season-high 11 rebounds in 38 minutes.

Drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 15th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Harkless has appeared in 621 games (372 starts) over his 10-year career, averaging 6.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 22.6 minutes (.474 FG%, .320 3FG%, .624 FT%). Acquired by the Orlando Magic as part of a four-team trade prior to the start of his rookie season, the 6-7 forward has played for the Magic (2012-15), Portland Trail Blazers (2015-19), LA Clippers (2019-20), New York Knicks (2019-20), Miami Heat (2020-21) and Sacramento Kings (2020-22).

He has appeared in 33 postseason games (32 starts), owning averages of 9.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 steal in 24.6 minutes (.436 FG%, .289 3FG%, .609 FT%).

A native of Queens, New York, Harkless played collegiately at St. John’s for one season (2011-12) before entering the NBA Draft. In his sole season suiting up for the Red Storm, he was named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, as well as a member of the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team and an All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention.

Huerter was selected by the Hawks with the No. 19 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. In four seasons in Atlanta, the 6-7 guard appeared in 274 games (216 starts), averaging 11.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 29.6 minutes (.431 FG%, .379 3FG%, .788 FT%). He put in 563 three-pointers during his Hawks career, the sixth-most in franchise history.

Huerter also saw action in 23 playoff games (15 starts), compiling 10.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 31.0 minutes (.414 FG%, .333 3FG%, .714 FT%). In an Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 7 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on June 20, 2021, he poured in 27 points on 10-18 shooting from the field, including a 2-4 clip from deep, in addition to seven rebounds, three assists and one steal in 40 minutes of play. 

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Hawks Acquire Justin Holiday and Maurice Harkless

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The NBA Moratorium period ended Thursday, making it the first day teams could legally sign free agents.  The Atlanta Hawks were busy, officialy completing several moves they had agreed upon in principle last week but weren't able to finalize until Thursday.

Atlanta started the day by waiving Austin Daye, which created an additional roster spot and gives the team flexibility should they want to make one more addition before training camp.

Shortly thereafter, the Hawks completed a trade with the Spurs that brought highly-touted center Tiago Splitter to Atlanta.  It's no secret the Hawks wanted to improve on the glass and fill a void left by Pero Antic, Atlanta's versitile backup center who will return to Europe next season.  Splitter gives the Hawks a dynamic inside presence on both ends of the floor and adds depth to a stout frontcourt.

“We’re excited to bring Tiago to Atlanta. He’s played an important role in a winning environment, has a great understanding of our system and will add to our core character,” Head Coach Mike Budenholzer said. “Tiago also brings championship experience and we look forward to adding his interior presence to our team.”

The Hawks followed the Splitter trade by re-signing Paul Millsap, keeping the frontcourt duo of him and Al Horford in tact.  Millsap earned All-Star honors in each of his first two seasons in Atlanta and provided the Hawks with a physical stretch 4 who can score consistently and defend multiple positions.

“Re-signing Paul was a priority for us. His toughness, versatility, high basketball IQ and unselfishness is representative of the culture we are building,” Budenholzer said. “We are excited that he will remain a part of our family.”

Atlanta wasn't done.  The Hawks had representatives in Las Vegas to officially ink 2014 second round draft pick Edy Tavares, who is in Sin City with Atlanta's Summer League team. The 7'3" center has a unique combination of length and versatility and will make his NBA debut this season after playing in Spain last year.

“We followed Edy closely the past two seasons with Gran Canaria and are excited to officially have Edy as a member of our team. We would like to thank the coaches and executives of Gran Canaria as they played a significant role in Edy’s development and we look forward to continuing his improvement in our player development program,” Budenholzer said.

Before the day was over, the Hawks made one final free agent acquisition official: the signing of shooting guard Justin Holiday.  Holiday played for the NBA Champion Warriors last season and appeared in 59 games. He has previously played in Europe and in the D-League.

“Justin's abilities on both ends of the court excited us as we looked to add depth on the wing,” Budenholzer said. “His combination of length and versatility with a great work ethic give him a chance to be a solid contributor on the court, and his experience on a championship team this past season and his high-character will be great positives for our locker room.”

The actions Thursday give the Hawks 14 players on the roster, meaning there is one open spot that the Hawks can (but are not required to) fill.  View the full roster here.

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Hawks Complete Busy Roster Day

The Hawks notched their first victory of Summer League with a 68-65 win over the defending Summer League champion Golden State Warriors. Dennis Schröder led the Hawks with 17 points and Trevor Releford and Mike Muscala chipped in with 14 points apiece. Justin Holiday led the Warriors with 15 points.

- Releford showed off his shooting ability with 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting including three three pointers. He did well to work his way into open space when off the ball and knocked down the open jumper when he got a kick-out.

- The Muscala and Schröder combo has been excellent for the Hawks all week. Muscala said they are getting more comfortable with each other in the pick-and-roll game, learning where the other wants to go.

- Coach Ham noted that being in a close game down the stretch was good experience for the guys. Muscala seconded that thought, saying it helped to have experience in understanding time situations late especially in dealing with 24-second shot clock.

- The Hawks’ team defense was much improved from the first three games, and Coach Ham credited that to the group communicating better on that end. Schröder noted that the team was more comfortable on the court together after playing together for a few games, and that made it easier to communicate and be in the right positions.

- Edy Tavares had a terrific defensive game, positioning himself well around the rim as he recorded three blocked shots in 19 minutes. He is very fluid with his movement on the defensive end, sliding over from the weakside to protect against driving guards.

With the win, the Hawks are guaranteed two more games and will start with a rematch with the Trail Blazers on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET. 

Justin Holiday

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