Atlanta Hawks: Complete grades for the 2019 NBA offseason

Bruno Fernando trade

While the Hawks made one of the biggest draft day trades in moving up for De’Andre Hunter, they weren’t done for the night when the traded with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Hawks found a way to get back into the early second round thanks to the 76ers. The night of the draft, they agreed upon trading the No. 57 pick (Jordan Bone), a 2020 second and a 2023 second for the rights to Bruno Fernando.

When the Hawks made this trade, it got the fan base excited for a potential rim protector they thought the Hawks would grab much earlier in the draft. He should bring a lot of energy to the court with his athleticism.

At NBADraft.net, Fernando is compared to Steven Adams and Serge Ibaka, noting his work close to and under the basket.

"A high level run jump athlete at the center position … Explosive finisher and alley-oop target, with great bounce, especially off of two feet … Very solid touch and shooting ability for a big"

The Ringer echoed some of the same sentiments, comparing him to the likes of Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors.

"Ambidextrous interior finisher who displays good footwork finding space for layups—that is, when he isn’t already in position to throw down pulverizing dunks. Soft interior touch and clean shooting form suggest he has a projectable shot to the NBA 3-point line. Made drastic improvements as a passer as a sophomore; he puts velocity on the ball and can effectively facilitate on the short roll and in the low and high post."

With his passing abilities seeming to have scouts enamored with him, Fernando should be a force to in the frontcourt along with John Collins. His passing abilities should allow the Hawks to space out the court even more, complementing Young’s skills too.

This move is a great low-risk, high-reward situation if all goes according to plan. With Alex Len in the fold as the team’s center, and John Collins having the ability to play the 4 and 5 spots, Fernando doesn’t have to step into a starting role right away.

There are concerns about his lack of some basic fundamentals and how he’ll hold up to bigger interior players as well. But if he proves to acclimate to the pros right away, he should thrive in the frontcourt for the Hawks.

Grade: B+