Australian big-man Cameron Bairstow has signed a one-year deal with the Hawks, adding to the franchise's impressive local contingent for the 2020-21 NBL season.
Bairstow, 29, returns to the NBL after a stint with Lietuvos Rytas, a EuroCup team in Lithuania, where he averaged 6.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.
The 49th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Bairstow spent two seasons with the Chicago Bulls before playing for the Brisbane Bullets for the following three years.
The Hawks went through a change in ownership over the off-season; dropping the 'Illawarra' moniker from their name, while bringing in six-time NBL Coach of the Year, Brian Goorjian.
"The Hawks have a new ownership, new direction, new coach, so it is an exciting thing to be back for the start of something new," Bairstow said.
"He (Goorjian) has got a winning track record and a great reputation as a coach and a person off the court, so for me it was very exciting when he did first contact me about the opportunity to come play for him and it is something I'm definitely looking forward to."
Bairstow, a 6'9 power forward, adds an experienced presence to the Hawks' front-line, complementing the talented perimeter depth the team had already secured; Goorjian recently signed elite local talent, Deng Adel, before adding NBA G-League star, Tyler Harvey.
"Cam brings big game experience to The Hawks and will provide a strong leadership presence for our young roster," Goorjian said.
"His on-court attributes are well known and he is a major addition to our front court. Cameron is also a class act off the court and will help establish the winning culture we want at The Hawks.
"With eight players now signed for the upcoming campaign, we believe we have built a team that will compete strongly this season."
Bairstow joins Adel, Harvey, Emmett Naar, Deng Deng, Dan Grida, Sam Froling, and Isaac White on The Hawks' growing roster for the upcoming NBL season.