Seeking to add additional depth to its backcourt, the Atlanta Hawks General Manager Rick Sund announced today that the club has signed free agent guard Ronald ?Flip? Murray to a contract.  Per team policy, no other details were released.

?By signing Flip, it provides us with another experienced player who has the ability to play multiple positions for us,? said Sund. ?Because of his versatility, he will be a valuable asset for us as a reserve, and we look forward to the contributions he?ll bring this season.?

A 6-3, 197-pound combo (point/shooting) guard, Murray is a six-year veteran who last played for the Indiana Pacers.  He saw action in 23 games after he was signed a mid-season free agent (March 1) following his release from the Detroit Pistons, and he averaged 11.0 points and 3.5 assists (.425 FG%, .389 3FG%, .754 FT%) in those contests.

The Atlanta Hawks have signed free agents Thomas Gardner and Othello Hunter to contracts, announced today by General Manager Rick Sund. Per team policy, terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

?Both players played well in our mini-camp and summer league,? said Sund. ?Thomas is a solid shooter with range who has the ability to score in bunches. Othello is an athletic power forward who runs the floor really well.?

A 6-5 guard, Gardner averaged a team-high 16.3 ppg (sixth in the tourney), along with 2.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, and 1.5 spg during the Rocky Mountain Revue, hitting .480 FG's (.467 3FGs) and .750 FTs. The Missouri product played in four games last season with the Chicago Bulls, averaging 5.3 ppg and 1.0 rpg.

During the 2006-07 campaign, Gardner saw action in Belgium with Verviers-Pepinster and helped lead the club to the Belgian Cup semifinals. He played three seasons at Mizzou, tallying 19.7 ppg as a junior for the Tigers. Thomas Earl Gardner was born  February 8, 1985 in Portland, Oregon.

Hunter, an undrafted rookie big man from Ohio State, put up 13.2 ppg, a team-best 6.2 rpg, 2.0 apg and 1.2 spg in five Hawks summer league contests. He played in 76 career games for the Buckeyes, averaging 7.8 ppg and 5.5 rpg (.583 FG%). Nearly half of his 415 career rebounds were on the offensive glass (178).

He finished second in the Big Ten in field goal percentage as a senior (.596), and equaled the seventh-best single-season mark in OSU history. Tegba Othello Hunter was born May 28, 1986 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

?We saw Thomas play last year and monitored him with the Bulls and overseas,? said Hawks? Assistant GM/Director of Player Personnel David Pendergraft. ?He was one of the first guys we invited to our summer program, and he really performed well.  He?s a shot maker who can add a spark off our bench.?

?We really liked the progression Othello has made, from Ohio State to Portsmouth to Orlando, and continuing in our mini-camp and summer league,? Pendergraft said. ?His competitiveness, athleticism and professionalism have impressed us, and if he continues to advance, he has a chance to be an asset to our organization.?

Atlanta forward Josh Smith is thrilled that he has signed a new contract with the Hawks and is ready to focus on other things, according to HoopsHype.

"It?s more relief and happiness. I?m just glad it?s over," Smith of Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. "Now I can move on, look forward, and focus on being a better player and teammate."

The Hawks matched a $58 million offer sheet that Smith signed with the Grizzles, keeping him in Atlanta.

"I was actually real anxious. I wanted to get it over with. But I understand it takes time because, you know, that?s negotiations," he said. "I was anxious more than any other thing."

Even though Smith expected the Hawks to match the offer sheet, he was aware that he could have moved to Memphis.

"Anything is possible," Smith added. "I signed it, right? I know they was saying they were going to match, but you never know what could happen. So I was very realistic about the situation."

Hawks' forward Marvin Williams has been hitting both the books and the gym this summer in hopes of maturing on and off the court, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"I'm just trying to get better. I've been shooting a ton of 3s [3-pointers]. I've definitely been working on the 3-ball. And I've put on a lot of weight, too," Williams said. "I'm up to about 245 with seven percent body fat. I'm as big and strong as I've ever been. I'm finally starting to fill out my frame, and it feels good."

The former Tar Heel has also been back in Chapel Hill going to class this offseason.

"The past few summers I've gone back to school, so to speak. Being here [in Chapel Hill] is kind of like my refuge. I've done pretty well in school," he continued.

"I was 233 [pounds] last year, but I actually feel like I'm moving a lot better. I've been running sprints on the track, and my times are better than they've ever been. I think a lot of it is just natural maturation," Williams added. "It's like my dad always said, I was so young when I came into the league. It was just a matter of time before my body developed. I just turned 22 two months ago, man."

Atlanta Hawks General Manager Rick Sund announced tonight that the club has retained forward Josh Smith and matched the offer sheet of the Memphis Grizzlies.

?Tonight, the Hawks' organization received an offer sheet from the Memphis Grizzlies for Josh Smith,? said Sund. ?We are happy to announce that we will match their offer sheet.  Ownership, management, and the team are happy to have Josh return as a member of the Hawks.  We look forward to training camp in October and we will continue to look at additional opportunities to improve our roster.?

Smith, whom the Hawks drafted with the 17th pick overall in the first round of the 2004 NBA Draft, has finished second in the NBA in blocks per game in each of the past two years and averaged team-highs in blocks per game (2.80) and steals per game (1.57), while also ranking second on the Hawks in points per game (17.2), rebounds per game (8.2) and assists per game (3.4) in 81 appearances last season.

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed restricted Atlanta free agent Josh Smith to a $58 million offer sheet, the Memphis Commercial-Appeal is reporting.

The Hawks now have seven days to match or let Smith walk, but have said in the past they'll match any offer the high flyer may get from rival teams.

Should the Griz land Smith he is expected to play power forward alongside Rudy Gay at small forward, O.J. Mayo at shooting guard and Mike Conley at point guard.