Omari Spellman, the Villanova grad who hit the game-winner in the National Championship to win march madness back in 2018, was traded to the Golden State Warriors after a one-year tenure with the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.
Spellman, who has played two summer league games this past week, averaging 12 points and eight rebounds, will have to lose a little groove in his game and change his pace to be joining a team with new acquired talent D’Angelo Russell from the Brooklyn Nets, as well as his former Wildcat teammate, Eric Paschall, who was drafted 41st overall earlier last month. The Warriors released lost DeMarcus Cousins due to his contract running out, and will be joining a front court with Draymond Green, Kevin Looney and Andrew Bogut. Klay Thompson will be out for the majority of the next season after getting ACL surgery after injuring it in the NBA Finals. Spellman could be an eventual sixth man for the team, as the Warriors lack serious depth after losing Kevin Durant to the Nets and Andre Iguodala to the Memphis Grizzlies.
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Spellman was drafted 30th overall last year, and played in 46 games in a rookie season that consisted of 11 starts. The 21-year-old averaged almost six points a game, with 4.2 rebounds in the NBA. He also played in the affiliated Hawks’ G-League team, the College Park Skyhawks in the latter part of the 2018-19 season.
Spellman talked about why he lacked time in the NBA and had to play in the G-League for awhile. “Pretty much, I was fat,” Spellman said, according to ESPN. “I had to lose weight. That’s what allowed me to get back.”
The Hawks picked up Jabari Parker with a $13 million, two-year deal, as well as drafting DeAndre Hunter and Cam Reddish. Trae Young has now a solid group of young players associated around him, as the Hawks continue to build an exciting squad. The Hawks will receive Damian Jones and a second round pick for Spellman.
