Hawks reportedly send Spellman to Warriors, acquire Jones

Another unexpected move.

The Atlanta Hawks put together an unexpected move on Monday, signing Jabari Parker to a two-year contract with a player option. Hours later, Travis Schlenk and company weren’t done, reportedly coming to an agreement on a trade that will send Omari Spellman to the Golden State Warriors.

As noted by Shams Charania of The Athletic, the deal includes the Hawks acquiring Damian Jones and a second-round draft choice.

Spellman was the No. 30 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and the 21-year-old big man appeared in 46 games during his rookie season in Atlanta. However, Spellman battled injuries during the stretch run and has repeatedly addressed questions about his conditioning and fitness during his brief professional tenure.

In Jones, the Hawks are acquiring another former No. 30 overall pick, this time in the 2016 NBA Draft. The 24-year-old center has been only a fringe player for the Warriors over the course of three seasons, appearing in 49 games, and he earns $2.3 million (approximately $400,000 more than Spellman) for the 2019-20 season, after which he will face restricted free agency if tendered a qualifying offer.

While there is potential (and noteworthy) value in the second-round pick, this could signal the Hawks essentially giving up on Spellman, as Jones would seemingly be a downgrade in terms of upside, offensive acumen and salary control. On the flip side, Jones is certainly more of a “pure center” and that checks the box that the Hawks may desire, particularly in the wake of the addition of Parker.

Lastly, Jones was drafted by the Warriors during Schlenk’s regime with the franchise and there is a potential connection there. Still, the major takeaway is that Omari Spellman will be spending his future somewhere other than Atlanta.

Stay tuned.