The Atlanta Hawks frontcourt has been plagued by injuries recently. But the Hawks took a step in providing some depth with the signing of Malik Williams, per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisik.
“The Hawks are signing center Malik Williams to a two-way contract, sources told ESPN, Youngmisik tweeted.
Hawks Give Young Center Best Christmas Gift Days Before Holiday
Before earning the two-way contract, Williams had been playing in the G-League with the Hawks’ affiliate, College Park Skyhawks. Williams had been outstanding with the Skyhawks, averaging 16.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 28 minutes over 14 appearances. He produced seven double-doubles, but struggled with efficiency as he shot 41.5/33.3/82.8.
Williams signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Atlanta at the end of September. Almost immediately, the 6-11 center was released, paving the way to join College Park as an affiliate player. As an affiliate player, Williams was guaranteed a $87,000 bonus for remaining with the Skyhawks for 60 days, in addition to his regular salary ($45,000 per year). He will now make a prorated portion of the two-way standard of $576,000 for a two-way deal.
Malik Williams Gets Another NBA Shot
This is Williams’ second NBA contract. Williams previously signed two 10-day contracts with Toronto. He averaged 2.7 points and 5.4 rebounds (2.1 offensive) in 15.4 minutes over seven appearances for the Raptors in 2023-24. He had one double-digit rebound game, though he compiled shooting splits of just 26.5/20.0/0.00.
Williams is a high-IQ big man with a high motor. The 27-year-old is an elite rebounder on both ends of the floor who can stretch the floor with his shooting. Defensively, he is a physical player who positions himself well and is a capable shot-blocker.
Williams fills the Hawks’ open two-way spot. The minor-league spot became open after Jacob Toppin was waived on December 15. Toppin underwent season-ending right shoulder surgery on December 8. He is active for tonight’s game against Chicago and could see some time with the Hawks, given how shorthanded they are.
While Williams doesn’t have much NBA experience, he has been playing professionally since going undrafted in 2022 out of Louisville. Williams began his professional career in Poland but has spent the last three seasons in the G-League.
Why Did The Hawks decide to sign Malik Williams?
Atlanta is wing-heavy with a particular dearth of centers. To make matters worse, four of their big men are sidelined, leaving Onyeka Okongwu, Jalen Johnson, and rookie Asa Newell to handle the middle. Okongwu played 40 minutes while Johnson was on the court for 36 minutes in the Hawks’ 152-150 loss to Chicago on Sunday. That’s when Mouhamed Gueye was available.
Guye is one of six Hawks sitting out the home game against Chicago. Gueye suffered a right shoulder sprain on Sunday. It is unknown how long Gueye will be out, but he is unlikely to return to the court this week and could be out much longer depending on the severity of the injury.
Dyson Daniels, who is dealing with right hip inflammation, has also been ruled out for tonight’s game. Meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis— who is still battling an unknown illness — has only played 13 games and will remain sidelined until at least next week. Two other Hawks big men, N’Faly Dante and Eli John Ndiaye, are out for the season.
Dante, who appeared in just four games with Atlanta, will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee that he suffered while playing with the Skyhawks on Friday. Ndiaye, sidelined since December 9, is also out for the remainder of the season as he will undergo surgery for a torn labrum in January.
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