It was last Thursday morning and Forman had just completed a extended trip of America, Mexico and Cuba, trying to gain some perspective about his life, as much as seeing more of the world.

Few had struggled mentally more than Forman, the club leader who had endured close mate Dave Gruber departing from Wollongong, the Hawks winning just six games last season and then going into voluntary administration.

Gordie McLeod's exit was particularly difficult.

In darker moments, Forman admits he was probably ready to leave town for good.

So instead he took a vacation across the Pacific, training at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles with WNBA team the Sparks, where Australian Marianna Tolo is a member of the squad and also girlfriend of Forman's former teammate Dan Jackson.

Through US connections, he witnessed first hand the NBA combine, the boot camp for young players entering the draft.

With the NBA finals also on, Forman started to fall in love with basketball again.

Forman landed back in Sydney on Thursday at 6am and by the afternoon, a meeting with new coach Rob Beveridge was scheduled.

The half-hour discussion made it clear Beveridge wanted him - and he still wanted to stay with the Hawks.

"It was only a quick chat," he said.

"Once it was clear he wanted me at the Hawks and I wanted to stay, the rest was left to the club and my agent.

"It's been a difficult time, so it was important to have some certainty about my future and the direction the club is heading, post-Gordie.

"The Hawks are good fit for me, I've got a lot of friendships in town and I've put a lot of time and effort into the club, I love living in the Gong."

Forman's signing, alongside ex-Kings big man AJ Ogilvy and long-serving Hawks guard Rhys Martin, is a heart-warming sign of progress for the club's rusted-on fans.

But Forman admits he very seriously considered walking away: "It definitely wasn't inevitable that I'd play with the Hawks again."

"There's been a lot of questions and doubt over everything that has happened over the past few months.

"I like to get away on holiday during every off-season, but it was tough leaving this time, because it was frustrating me more than I even thought it would.

"I had to remove myself from the situation and go away and get a distraction.

"It was depressing and personal and I didn't want to have such anger about what was going on."

During his travels, Forman went to Iowa to catch up with Gruber, now working in finance and not returned to the court since his axing from the Hawks.

Then he learned of McLeod's decision to leave the club.

"It was hard, because during the voluntary administration process, we were regularly on the phone talking about what was happening and the future," Forman said.

"We went through it all together and I could see the toll it was taking on him."

His meeting with Beveridge, only signed as McLeod's replacement the previous week, reassured him the Hawks have a future.

While the issue of captaincy is yet to be resolved, Forman is hopeful Tim Coenraad, Larry Davidson and Tyson Demos remain among the Hawks signing priorities, as they try to catch up and assemble a competitive squad for next season.

From the depths of despair, Forman has renewed hope the Hawks can be an instant force.

"Getting the right imports will be a big factor, as it is every year, but Rob is a great coach who knows how to be successful," he said.

"Having Rhys there is great for me, because we already have that on-court understanding.

"Of course, getting AJ is a big thing for us.

"It shows confidence in where we are heading and helps change your mindset about the future."