Los Angeles Exchanged a Veteran for Unused International Rights
On February 20, 2014, the Clippers sent Antawn Jamison and cash to Atlanta for the draft rights to Cenk Akyol, a Turkish guard picked in the second round in 2005. The Clippers' official deadline announcement identified Akyol as an international prospect already playing professionally in Turkey. Jamison, a veteran former All-Star, had appeared in 22 Clippers games during the first part of the season. By moving him, Los Angeles was managing a roster role it no longer needed while acquiring a rights asset that would not require an immediate NBA contract.
Atlanta Released Jamison the Day After the Transaction
The Hawks did not obtain Jamison as an active rotation veteran. Their transaction archive records his waiver on February 21, one day after the trade. As a result he never played an Atlanta regular-season NBA game. Jamison's earlier Clippers scoring and his substantial accomplishments with Golden State, Dallas, Washington and Cleveland belong to those clubs, not to the receiving Hawks. The principal documented Atlanta return was therefore the cash included in the exchange, not the former twenty-point scorer's career totals. This distinction is essential to grading the small deadline arrangement fairly.
Akyol's Draft Rights Did Not Become Clippers Minutes
Akyol was the 59th selection in the 2005 draft and had played in the Turkish professional league rather than signing with Atlanta. Los Angeles obtained those dormant NBA rights in February 2014, but he never joined the Clippers for a regular-season NBA game. His overseas numbers and competitions are not NBA points earned for the Los Angeles franchise. The rights still represented a negotiable asset with theoretical value, and the deal could free roster room for other moves. Neither possibility demonstrates that the Clippers obtained a regular-season player from Akyol.
A Cash Receipt Provides the Small Atlanta Advantage
Both teams were solving roster problems rather than pursuing a marquee star. Atlanta agreed to take Jamison's contract and immediately waived him, receiving cash consideration as part of the exchange. Los Angeles moved a little-used veteran and acquired a foreign prospect whose rights were never exercised into a Clippers playing career. Without a documented dollar figure or a player tied solely to the money, Atlanta's return should not be exaggerated. Nevertheless, it acquired a realized payment, while the Clippers' direct playing return from Akyol was zero. The inherited Hawks-favored verdict is defensible with modest grades.
Final Verdict
Hawks Win. Atlanta earns C+ for cash received when it acquired and promptly waived Antawn Jamison, who played no Hawks regular-season games. Los Angeles gets D+ because the rights to Cenk Akyol never produced a Clippers NBA appearance, despite offering a limited speculative asset. This was a minor financial and roster-management transaction rather than a major basketball win.