Hawks ship Barry to Houston for Lue

Barry, a 13-year NBA veteran, signed a free-agent contract with Atlanta in September but has seen limited playing time due to the emergence of rookies Josh Childress and Royal Ivey in the backcourt. The 35-year-old has not played in the Hawks’ last eight games and is averaging 5.2 points and 1.8 assists in 16 contests this season.

Lue, who averaged 6.0 points and 2.8 assists in 21 games with the Rockets, joins his fourth team in three years. The former Nebraska product scored a career-best 10.5 points-per-game clip with the Orlando Magic last season before being dealt to Houston in the offseason as part of the trade which brought Tracy McGrady to the Rockets and sent Steve Francis to Orlando.

"This was done because of the development of our young players — Josh Childress, Josh Smith and Royal Ivey," said Hawks executive vice president/general manager Billy Knight. "We didn’t feel like there would be a lot of playing time for Jon at that shooting guard position."

Barry, a first round draft choice by Boston in 1992, has averaged 5.7 points in 748 career games with Milwaukee, Golden State, Atlanta, the Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento, Detroit and Denver. He is a career 38.7 percent shooter from three-point range.

Lue has averaged 7.8 points and 3.2 assists in six-plus seasons. The 27-year old began his career with the Lakers in 1998 and was a member of Los Angeles’ world championship clubs of 1999-00 and 2000-01. He signed with Washington the following campaign and spent two years with the Wizards before inking with Orlando.