Posted by Dustin Chapman in Unrestricted free agent swingman Maurice Evans has agreed to a three-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks, worth $7.5 million total.
Evans initially agreed to a three-year, $6.4 million contract with the Golden State Warriors, but recently decided to back out of the deal to seek more money. He did just that, as he pulled in an extra $1.1 million from Atlanta.
Throughout the 2007-2008 season, Evans suited up for the Los Angeles Lakers before being traded to the Orlando Magic in mid-November. Throughout his short campaign with the Lakers this past season, Evans’ minutes were erratic. Phil Jackson played him roughly 13 minutes per game, where the 6′5” energy booster averaged 4.4 points per game.
In Orlando, however, Evans was given a real opportunity to play significant minutes (much like he did for the Lakers in 2006-2007). In his 68-game regular season stint with the Magic, the five-year NBA veteran put up 9.3 points and 3.1 rebounds, playing just under 24 minutes per game. As a starter in 47 of those games, he held averages of 10.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest, while shooting 41.8% from beyond the arc.
The 29-year-old guard is expected to replace Josh Childress, who recently left the Hawks for a lucrative offer in Greece, in the rotation.
He was probably the best available replacement for Childress. Maybe not necessarily the most talented swing on the market, but the best fit in terms of what Atlanta lost in Childress (hustle, defense, activity).