Hawks re-sign Millsap, add Splitter to squad

Published 4:00 am Friday, July 10, 2015

    ATLANTA (AP) — Paul Millsap didn’t need long to decide whether he should return to Atlanta or leave for Orlando.

    He believes the Hawks offer a better chance to win an NBA title and wants to keep building on last season, when Atlanta won a franchise-best 60 games and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals.

    Millsap’s new three-year, $58.9 million contract — a deal that was reported last week — became official Thursday. The Hawks and Magic were the last two teams he considered.

    “I felt like I’ve been here for two years and that I was one of the guys who helped this thing get to where it’s at with the team that we had,” Millsap said in a conference call with reporters.

    “We feel like there’s still room for improvement, and we feel like we can reach our goals.”

    Millsap’s deal was the most significant in a busy day for the Hawks, who added depth to the roster by trading for center-forward Tiago Splitter and by signing center Walter “Edy” Tavares and guard Justin Holiday.

    In his second season with the Hawks, Millsap led the team with averages of 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 15 double-doubles. He hit a career-high 77 3-pointers and averaged 3.1 assists.