Soaring Down South
Fansided

Late-Bloomers? 3 Atlanta Hawks Who Had Good Careers After Leaving Team

By Dallin Duffy

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Hawks
ATLANTA – NOVEMBER 1: Jason Terry #31 of the Atlanta Hawks puts his arms over his head during the game against the Indiana Pacers at the Philips Arena on November 1, 2003 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Pacers won in overtime 103-99. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Jason Terry

With Steve Smith and Mookie Blaylock already gone, and Dikembe Mutombo in his last full season with the team, the Atlanta Hawks took Jason Terry 10th overall in 1999, hoping he’d be the major building block of the team’s next rebuild.

Terry was certainly one of the Hawks’ better players in the early ‘2000s, teams that underachieved and never made the playoffs. “The Jet” averaged 16.2 points and 5.5 assists per game during his five years in Atlanta, forming a somewhat respectable big three with Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Theo Ratliff.

The Hawks opted to move on from Terry after a 28-54 ’03-’04 season, trading him to Dallas in exchange for Tony Delk and Antoine Walker.

Neither Delk nor Walker lasted on the Hawks, while Terry became a very solid player for the Mavs, winning the Sixth Man of the Year in 2009 and helping the team win the Finals two years later.

He bounced around a few teams after leaving Dallas, and only retired two years ago at the age of 40.