Lamar Patterson on Hawks’ Radar

A former MVP candidate is emerging as a potential wildcard for the reigning champions, with Lamar Patterson firmly in contention for a roster spot at Illawarra.

With two vacancies still open, the Hawks have been putting the former Brisbane Bullet and New Zealand Breaker through his paces at practice.

Patterson, a two-time All-NBL First Team selection, last featured in the league in 2022.

"Lamar's obviously a former MVP of the league. He's in great shape. He's lost nearly 20 kilograms," Illawarra’s Head of Basketball Operations Mat Campbell told The Mercury.

"We've been looking at him as a potential opportunity for either a roster spot or an injury replacement, just in case we have one of our imports go down for an extended period of time."

Patterson, 34, enjoyed his most dominant season in 2019/2020, averaging 21.4 points, 6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

This year, he captured NBL1 North’s Most Valuable Player honours while starring for the Ipswich Force.

The Hawks made it clear there's no rush to finalise a signing, prioritising the search for the ideal player to help deliver back-to-back titles.

Read the full story here >> 'We have the deepest roster': Hawks' ominous warning to NBL rivals