Trent Forest goes from garnet and gold to Atlanta Hawks’ red

By Ed Klinsport
Seminoles.com

ATLANTA, Ga. — Trent Forrest, the all-time winningest player in Florida State basketball history, recently signed a new two-way contract with the Atlanta Hawks to add another exciting chapter to his already remarkable basketball journey.  

Forest is one of three Hawks’ players on a two-way contract on their roster to begin the 2023-24 season. Teams can carry 18 players, with 15 on guaranteed contacts and three on two-way contacts.

Forrest’s two-way contract presents him with an opportunity to split his playing time between the NBA and the G League in College Park, Ga. 

“It’s an opportunity to play and get games under my belt,” said Forrest. “It will be a good experience to play in both leagues, be able to work on my game and continue to get better.”

Forrest is now in his fourth season in the NBA after enjoying an outstanding career at Florida State. He began his career with the Utah Jazz in 2020 and signed with the Hawks in 2022.

Forrest was Florida State’s starting point guard for the final three seasons of his career and helped lead the Seminoles to three NCAA Tournaments. With Forrest in the Seminoles’ lineup, Florida State won the 2020 ACC Championship, gained 104 overall wins, 50 ACC regular season wins and 53 total ACC wins (regular season and ACC Tournament). He earned All-ACC Second Team and ACC All-Defensive Team honors as a senior in 2020 and graduated in December of 2019 as he finished his undergraduate degree requirements in just 3.5 years.

During his career, Forrest was named to the Emerald Coast Classic All-Tournament Team, Bob Cousy Award Watch List, the Tallahassee Democrat FSU Basketball All Decade Team (2011-20), finalist for the John Wooden Citizenship Cup, CoSIDA Academic All-District 4 First Team, CoSIDA Academic All-American Third Team, and won an ACC Postgraduate Scholarship as a senior.

He was named the winner of the Skip Prosser Award as the 2020 ACC Men’s Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year.

“It feels good,” said Forrest. “I feel like every year that you are able to stay in the league is a good thing and being able to continue on your journey is a blessing.”

Balancing the differences between the G League and the NBA is another challenge that Forrest anticipates, but he remains focused on the core aspect of the game.

“There’s going to be a small difference in talent, but at the end of the day, it’s still basketball, so being able to go out there and play is the important thing,” said Forrest. “You get the chance in the G League, to work on and get better at your game. In the NBA, you get the chance to show what you’ve been working on while continuing to get better against better players.”

For Forrest, the journey from being undrafted in 2020 to earning a two-way contract with the Hawks has been filled with both trials and triumphs.

“It’s had its challenges, both ups and downs, but I wouldn’t want to have it any other way,” said Forrest. “I feel like I have learned a lot and gotten the chance to get better. It’s been a good experience for me, and going into my fourth year, I have a lot to look forward to.”

As a Seminole legend, Forrest cherishes his time at Florida State and the memories he created.

“The year that we had the Elite Eight run was one of my favorite memories. My senior season was another because of the guys on the team and how close all of us were. Specifically, the Louisville game (in Tallahassee) was probably my favorite game that I played.”

Forrest’s time at FSU, both on and off the court, has played a pivotal role in preparing him for his journey to the NBA. His dedication to both academics and basketball is exemplified by his inclusion in the All-ACC Academic Team during his college years.

“I think I approach both (academics and basketball) with a similar mindset,” said Forrest. “As far as schoolwork goes, the biggest thing you must do is work hard, which is half the battle. It’s the same way with basketball. If you have a test coming up, you must study to prepare for it, and in basketball, you do the same for an upcoming game.”