SPURS SEND SPLITTER TO HAWKS
The Atlanta Hawks acquired center Tiago Splitter from the San Antonio Spurs for a protected 2nd-round draft pick in 2017 and the draft rights to combo forward Georgios Printezis.
What does it give the Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks lost solid rotational center Pero Antic this off-season (he headed back to Europe) so Atlanta had a need and gets an upgrade here in Splitter. During his time in San Antonio, Splitter showed he can be a very solid (if not stellar) NBA starter. Whether the Hawks will have him start in the middle (letting superstar Al Horford shift to power forward) or come off the bench, Splitter should be a key part of the Hawks' big man rotation in '15-16.
What does it give the San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs needed to shed salary in their pursuit of free agent post players LaMarcus Aldridge and David West, and Splitter became a logical choice (especially because Aldridge and West--who were both signed--replace him in the rotation). San Antonio has dramatically upgraded its frontcourt depth, and while Splitter was solid for the Spurs he became expendable in the pursuit of the free agents. Printezis is one of Europe's top players but he may never make the jump to the NBA (although he nonetheless joins San Antonio's always-deep stockpile of European prospects).
Fantasy impact
As mentioned, Splitter will likely start at center for Atlanta (especially with DeMarre Carroll leaving via free agency, which means Horford probably shifts to power forward and Paul Millsap moves to small forward). Splitter has a solid chance to improve his fantasy production, since he appears to be in line for a bigger role with the Hawks than he had with the Spurs. For San Antonio, Boris Diaw may see a reduced role now that Aldridge and West are around.
