Atlanta Hawks: Rethinking the Omari Spellman/Damian Jones Trade
By Chris Guest
A quick look at a perplexing offseason move involving former Atlanta Hawks first-round pick Omari Spellman and Damian Jones, formerly of the Golden State Warriors.
When the Atlanta Hawks traded away Omari Spellman to the Golden State Warriors after only on season and a piddling two Summer League games, it became clear that the 21-year-old sophomore did not put in the expected effort to keep his weight in check and meld well with his new teammates.
Sure, two games might be a rather slim sample size, and the Hawks had to have seen something in the Villanova alum to invest a first-round selection on him, but clearly General Manager Travis Schlenk had seen as much as he needed to.
More from Soaring Down South
- Start, Bench, Cut: Sorting through the Hawks’ power forward options
- Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic reacts to earning FIBA World Cup championship bid
- When does training camp start for the Atlanta Hawks?
- Grade the trade: Hawks deal Trae Young to Clippers in shocking proposal
- Dejounte Murray rips NBA 2K after Atlanta Hawks ratings reveal
Atlanta shipped Spellman to the Warriors for a fairly attractive future second-round pick as well as Damian Jones, who the Warriors were seemingly more than happy to part with.
While a new face is always appreciated on any team, especially one such as the Hawks, who should be looking for as many low-cost flyers as they can get their talons on, so far during the preseason Jones has looked completely out of his element as a rotation-caliber big man in today’s NBA.
Though he has swished two corner three-pointers, which is a plus, Jones has been an absolute turnstile on the defensive end, and he has not been a reliable play-finisher for the Atlanta Hawks, despite herculean efforts by Trae Young.
The preseason, so far, has been a slog for the entire squad. Of course, preseason performance is nary an indicator of what the regular season will bring for any team, a few glaring needs are already popping up: Defense and turnovers – two areas which were previously outlined as major needs before the preseason began.
Next. Would Hawks Actually Trade for Bradley Beal?. dark
While Spellman might not be lighting the world on fire for the Warriors, he is both younger and has more innate talent, it seems, than Jones. But still, at this point, who knows? The preseason is a crap shoot, so let’s give it time before making any bold pronouncements.