The Hawks and Spurs seem to have a real connection, which is no surprise give Mike Budenholzer’s previous tenure as a longtime Spurs assistant. Atlanta reached a deal with now former Spurs center Dewayne Dedmon on Tuesday night.
The deal will be for $14 million over two seasons and includes a player option in the second year. Dedmon was an unsung hero in San Antonio, averaging 5.1 points and an excellent 6.5 rebounds in just 17.5 minutes per game. His best contributions though, come on the defensive end. Dedmon is an elite paint defender that averages nearly two blocks per-36 minutes, but effects far more than that. Playing in San Antonio also shows Dedmon is capable of handling the Hawks complicated schemes.
Dedmon comes to Atlanta looking to play a much larger role than he did with the Spurs. With Atlanta in full rebuild mode, and their other starting center option being Miles Plumlee, the odds are that Dedmon is the opening day starter. He can rebound the ball like Dwight Howard and could be an even better defender than Howard was last season. Dedmon’s ability to run the floor should also put him in better favor with head coach Mike Budenholzer.
If everything works out well, Dedmon will opt out after season’s ends for a much larger pay day. This move solidifies, if it was not already, that Atlanta is 100% rebuilding. This is a nice addition, as the Hawks were desperate for rebounding help, but it should not put the team in playoff contention. With the deal’s short length, it also does not handcuff the team from making any big splashes in the future.