3:36pm: The trade is now official, according to press releases issued by both teams. The second-round pick going to Atlanta in the deal is the Warriors’ 2026 second-rounder.
1:49pm: The Warriors and Hawks have agreed to a trade that will send big man Omari Spellman to Golden State, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links). According to Charania, Atlanta will receive center Damian Jones and a second-round pick in the swap.
Spellman, who will turn 22 later this month, was the 30th overall pick in the 2018 draft. He appeared in 46 games during his rookie season in Atlanta, averaging 5.9 PPG and 4.2 RPG in 46 games (17.5 MPG). The former Villanova standout also showed an ability to hit outside shots, making 1.0 three-pointer per game at a 34.4% rate.
As for Jones, he was the 30th overall pick two years earlier, in 2016, so he’ll be up for restricted free agency next summer. The 24-year-old opened the 2018/19 campaign as Golden State’s starting center, averaging 5.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 24 games (17.1 MPG), before a torn pectoral muscle sidelined him for the rest of the regular season.
The financial aspect of the deal is important for the Warriors, who are facing a $138.9MM hard cap. Spellman will earn about $1.9MM this season, while Jones is set to make $2.31MM. That difference may appear modest, but Golden State doesn’t have a whole lot of wiggle room, so the added flexibility will help the team fill out its roster.
Does Bob Myers take any time off?
This is interesting to me? Not the stylistic direction I would’ve expected Golden State to venture toward. Do they have a philosophy in mind when acquiring players? Or do do they plan to figure that out when the roster is set? There a lot of questions about their defense next year.
Well, JT, I’m gonna guess they don’t know what they’re doing. What have they ever done right?
Yeah, let’s question the orchestrator of the franchise who just went to 5 straight titles and won 3 of them. I swear, some people don’t think before talking or typing.
Or they’re just not capable of exhibiting intelligence. For example, in 2012 GSW drafted Barnes, Ezeli and draymond. How stupid! Drafted curry and Thompson before that. And later looney. They’ve wo three titles which should/could have been 5. Did they even have plan or did they just draft and then just wing it?
Jtsanders, I bow to you
You know what, little by little the Warriors nip and Tuck their way from the lame duck season to a four or five seed. Loving it.
They sign Willie cauley-stein, so who needs 6-11 Damian Jones at Center? Flip him for a productive rotation power forward. Not a blockbuster of course and maybe the jury is still out on Spellman, but small incremental moves upward all add up.
Sign Alex Burks, take up some Wing minutes. He’s an NBA player not a guy you have to turn into a player. He’s ready to go. Loving this stuff.
You’ve been on fire G
IMO Spellman projects to being up and down but good when up and they don’t have to rely on him. He’s more of a project for, rather than an imitation of, Draymond. He was kind of an odd pick for Atlanta (dissimilar to Trae or Huerter or Collins) but has much better odds on GSW. Well as usual we will see.
Yes good stuff. But I am kind of tired of waiting for Damian Jones to turn into a player so if you can save a little money trade him for somebody a little younger who could be a player I guess you do it. Exchanging 11th men I guess LOL.
Side note I hope Damian Jones succeeds in Atlanta. He’s had the unfortunate injury bug and I hope he can make it happen for himself with the Hawks.
Great trade for GS, they get a versatile young big. Possibly a Draymond Green lite
Spellman has Draymond like potential. Great trade for GS
Is every 6’9” power forward now a Draymond Green? If he was really a Draymond, how did the Warriors grab him for Jones and a 2nd?
Because we in #lightyears szn my man
Why do this?!….Spellman seems to have a lot of upside and fit the rebuild as a good foundation piece.
I think I get it form the Hawks persepctive. I thought Spellman was a sneaky good pick last year. However, he was a case of the the Hawks drafting value instead of fit.
Spellman is a sub-par interior defender and is not really a low post scorer either. He is a soft big that gets points when other set him up for dunks. He has a nice outside touch, but the Hawks are now overflowing with perimeter scorers. I know very little of Jones but his defensive metrics are better and he appears to be a ‘sit him in the lane’ type of player that will fit with the current rotation of perimeter guys in Atlanta(think cheap Dwayne Dedmon).
The second rounder might actually end up being a decent pickup if GS trends downward. It’s hard for NBA teams that are not yearly high profile free agent destinations to maintain at GS level. Typically when the young players that get them there start getting to free agency the teams fall apart. I wonder if Atlanta is betting on that as well. Picking up a second rounder is a bonus piece and if it ends up in the ‘lottery’ area of the second round it will be very nice.
Spellman being hurt last year slowed his development a bit. I heard Atlanta’s GM mention him in a radio interview, and he kind of mentioned him at the end, it almost sounded slightly under his breath, like he almost forgot about him. Theyve since added others at his spot, and this is consistent with the Jabari Parker signing. Meanwhile, they arguably could use a depth big like Jones
GS gets a guy that if he develops, could give them something interesting behind Draymond. They drafted Paschal there, but it doesnt hurt to have multiple guys, and I think Paschal can play some 5
Exactly, he’s never mentioned with their other much-hyped youth. It probably teed him off, maybe led to a spiral which by rep he might be susceptible to. And yes Paschal
Bob mf meyers
He’s a beast ain’t he?
Fart sniffers much?!?!….sorry had to say it lol, he is very good