Atlanta Hawks: Omari Spellman Talks About Being Traded

Omari Spellman, formerly of the Atlanta Hawks, talks about getting traded after only one season.

When the Atlanta Hawks traded #30 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft after only one season, it was a rather shocking occurrence. When a first round pick is made, that player is often given at least two to three seasons to sort of get his bearings in the NBA – even if they aren’t the most highly touted prospect.

Instead, when it became clear that Omari Spellman had not focused on getting in shape during the summer, the Hawks traded him after only two Summer League games to the Golden State Warriors for Damian Jones and a future second round pick.

Now, during the Warriors’ media day, which took place on Monday, Spellman opened up to Anthony Slater of The Athletic to talk about getting traded in candid terms:

As you can see, Spellman was obviously shattered by the unexpected trade. However, Slater also elucidated what was likely the main reason why Spellman was indeed sent packing from Atlanta:

While it’s good to know that Spellman is focused on getting in peak physical condition, look at how much he weighed during Hawks Summer League: 315 pounds! While NBA players’ weights certainly fluctuate, that’s a huge swing that had to be influenced by his trade to one of the best teams in the NBA.

It’s a shame that Spellman was unable to get his weight down by 40 pounds before his first Summer League game with the Hawks – if he did, he likely would still be on the team – but it’s good to know he took that seismic move to heart and seems to be focused on slimming down even further.

Spellman showed a variety of flashes during his rookie season, but his weight did seem to be a problem that permeated his entire rookie campaign, so it will be interesting to see what the former Hawk does in his second year in the league with Golden State.