Turkish Big Man Ersan Ilyasova Signs on with the Atlanta Hawks
Washington (AFP) - Turkish forward Ersan Ilyasova and American centre Dewayne Dedmon have signed National Basketball Association (NBA) contracts with the Atlanta Hawks, the team announced on Friday in moves to bolster their front court. Dedmon's deal was reportedly for US$14 million (S$19 million) over two years with Ilyasova getting US$6 million for one season. Ilyasova, set to begin his 10th NBA season, has career averages of 11.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists over 609 games for the Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers and Hawks. The 30-year-old second-round pick in the 2005 NBA Draft is a 44 per cent shooter, hitting 36.6 per cent from 3-point range.