Omari Spellman has barely had time to process the context of his new basketball circumstances. Once his trade from the Atlanta Hawks to the Golden State Warriors on Monday really hits home, though, it's safe to say the second-year big man will relish the opportunity to play with the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and D'Angelo Russell.
“I haven't thought too much about it. I think I'll cross that road when I get there,” Spellman said when asked if he was excited to play with the Warriors. “Obviously, those guys are great players, players you look up to, game-changing players, so I think it'll be fun.”
Golden State acquired Spellman on Monday in exchange for center Damian Jones, a move that saved the team several hundred thousand dollars worth of committed salary. The Warriors subsequently used that extra spending room to sign free agent guard Alec Burks, who had previously agreed to terms with the Oklahoma City Thunder but was let out of his deal once Paul George was traded to the LA Clippers.
The No. 30 overall pick of last year's draft, Spellman appeared in 46 games for the Hawks as a rookie, averaging 5.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game while shooting 40.2 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from beyond the arc.
At 6-foot-9 with a thick build and long arms, Spellman's NBA niche, if he's able to carve one out, will probably come as a small-ball center, where his scoring instincts would be most easily taken advantage of and his inherent defensive limitations most easily mitigated. Spellman will never reach his potential if he fails to keep his weight in check, though, a problem that caused him to spend a part of the beginning of his debut campaign in the G-League.
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