Atlanta Hawks: Grading The Ersan Ilyasova Trade

Tiago Splitter Heads To Philly

The bittersweet part of this trade was the fact that Tiago Splitter had to be included in the deal. No, Splitter wasn’t a fan favorite in Atlanta. His tenure as a Hawk was just marred by injuries. There’s something about that fact that makes me sad. Maybe I’m a sappy basketball fan.

When the Hawks acquired Splitter from the San Antonio Spurs in the summer of 2015 the move was met with almost universal acclaim. It was a salary dump for the Spurs, so all he cost Atlanta was the rights to Georgios Printezis and a second-round pick.

Various injuries limited Splitter to 36 games as a Hawk. All 36 games came during the 2015-16 season. Splitter averaged 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game on 52.3 percent shooting during that 36-game stretch.

It’s never fun to see injuries derail a player’s career. Splitter would have fit perfectly on this season’s Hawks team as a rim-protecting backup center. His body just wouldn’t let him do it.

Tiago Splitter watch is finally over. The constant updates, or more accurately non-updates, will come to stop.

There will be no more wondering when, or if, he will make his return to action. Also gone are the delightful interviews when he would join Bob Rathbun and Dominique Wilkins on the television broadcast. Fare well, Tiago. May your body finally allow you to continue your career.