Joe Smith Signs with the Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks desperately wanted a veteran bigman who could help take the young Hawks to the next level. Recently, Atlanta was able to land one of their top targets — former number one overall draft pick Joe Smith. The Hawks will be Smith’s tenth team in the NBA.

According to numerous reports, Smith’s final two options were the Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. To end last season, Smith was on the Cavs. With the Hawks, he’ll get a chance to play a larger role on a team that is definitely one of the most up-and-coming squads in the Eastern Conference.

Originally drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the 1995 NBA Draft, Smith started on the Oklahoma City Thunder last year before finishing the season with the Cavs. With the Thunder, he averaged 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds. With the Cavs, he averaged 6.5 points and 4.7 rebounds. For his career, he’s played in 950 games and has averages of 11.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 0.9 blocks.

While it is unlikely that Smith will start for the Hawks, he has a good chance of being the first power forward off of the bench.

Joe Smith will no longer have LeBron by his side (Image: Zuma Press)