While you probably had never heard of N'Faly Dante until the Atlanta Hawks signed him, the club is clearly excited about the former Rockets' big man.
Atlanta broke protocol in their choice to acquire Dante. They extended an offer sheet to the restricted free agent, an extremely rare occurrence for a two-way prospect. What was even more rare was the circumstances around Dante's signing.
Dante earned a two-year offer sheet from the Hawks despite playing in only four career NBA games. Brian Windhorst said on his podcast, The Hoop Collective, that he believed Dante has the fewest games played of anyone to receive an offer sheet in NBA history. While this is a stat that is difficult to research, Windhorst appears to be correct.
This begs the question of what Atlanta sees in Dante to provoke such an unusual contract.
Atlanta's unprecedented Dante signing is great business for the team
Dante is a former five-star recruit despite picking up basketball at a relatively late age. Dante went to Oregon after graduating, where his career hit a major setback. After using his freshman season primarily to develop, Dante tore his ACL in his sophomore season.
Dante recovered, however, becoming one of the most productive players in the NCAA by his final season at Oregon. Dante averaged 17.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 1.7 steals on 70% shooting from the field. This performance led to Dante winning Most Outstanding Player of the Pac-12 Tournament and his second consecutive All-Pac-12 First team selection.
Dante went undrafted, however, as he would turn 23 years old before his rookie season began. Nonetheless, the Rockets took a chance on Dante by signing him to a two-way contract. Dante was unable to scratch the rotation, however, as the now-beloved center duo of Steven Adams and Alperen Sengun occupied the Rockets' center rotation.
This setback allowed Dante to prove he doesn't belong in the G League. He averaged an absolutely monstrous 16.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game on 74.9% from the field. While his free throw percentage of 45.5% is certainly reason for concern, Dante has proven he is ready for NBA competition.
Dante brings the classic bully-ball center mold to a Hawks team that sorely lacks one. While Atlanta's center rotation is talented and athletic, it was not equipped to handle the physical players of the Eastern Conference.
Dante likely will start the season in the G League again, as Kristaps Porzingis, Onyeka Okongwu, and Mouhamed Gueye all have proven to be NBA-caliber players. But when Porzingis misses time, whether for load management or injury, Dante is an excellent option to fill out the center rotation.
The move to sign Dante was inherently risky, as he has just 51 NBA minutes to his name. It is the kind of risk you want your front office to take, however. Dante addresses a critical roster need and has proven his upside at both the collegiate and G League levels. The Hawks demonstrated their faith in Dante when they made history by signing him. Now the ball is in Dante's court as he prepares for his first legitimate chance at playing in the NBA