So far this offseason, the Hawks have tried to address their need for a reliable big man by re-signing Jason Collins, signing Josh Powell, and signing Etan Thomas. They may not be finished; Mark Berman of Fox Houston reports that the Hawks have joined the Heat, Raptors, and Rockets in making overtures to Erick Dampier. The Charlotte Bobcats waived the 14-year veteran earlier this week in order to clear his $13 million salary from their books.
Atlanta may have an advantage over most teams because it can still offer Dampier the full mid-level exception, as it has yet to use it this offseason. The money comes atop the almost surefire guarantee of ample playing time, as he would give the Hawks an effective, physical defender in the low post to use against the East’s burliest centers, such as Orlando’s Dwight Howard.
Dampier owns career averages of 7.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.5 blocked shots. Additionally, he does not make many mistakes on offense, having converted more than 60 percent of his shot attempts in each of the last four years.