Former Raptors guard signs non-guaranteed deal with Hawks

The Toronto Raptors may have made some splashes in the offseason, but Masai Ujiri is going to spend a not insignificant piece of time figuring out which players will make up the end of the bench. Armoni Brooks, who made his mark as a 3-point shooter with the Rockets, was being considered on the condition he bounces back from a rough 2021.

Brooks shot just 28% from 3-point range, yet was competing for time against some of the more experienced guards on the team. He provided a change of pace in the middle of the season, but he clearly lacked the ability to make himself a long-term core member.

After Summer League ended, Brooks was cut by the Raptors. This looked like one step above the end of the line for his NBA career. Luckily, he was given one last chance by a team that many expect to be firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

Brooks signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Atlanta Hawks, with whom he spent some time as a G League affiliate player, after being let go by Toronto. The Hawks are hoping that the 3-point show he exhibited during his rookie year with Houston can make the trip down south, as he clearly did not bring it to Toronto.

Armoni Brooks left the Toronto Raptors for Atlanta.

When we first saw Brooks, it looked like we had entered Bizzaro World. Brooks could not buy a 3-point shot, but he was impressed with his hustle and tenacity on the defensive end. That was enough to earn some backup reps over Dalano Banton and Malachi Flynn for a brief period of time.

Brooks was supposed to come into the year as one of many guards competing for a spot on the bench, but the fact that his contract became guaranteed before the season started was too much for Toronto to bear. Names like Juancho Hernangomez and Josh Jackson have arrived in town after the Brooks waive.

Summer League was quite strange for Brooks. While he made a solid five of his 12 3-point shots in the opener against the 76ers, he proceeded to make just six of his next 28 3-point attempts. That rapid decline helped convince Masai Ujiri that some new blood was needed.

The Raptors would have liked to have a player like Brooks, but he just didn’t fit their timeline from a financial point of view. Hopefully, he finds a way to have success with the Hawks, as his ability to shoot when he gets in rhythm could be a valued asset for a playoff team.