Last season, Maryland had two NBA draft picks. While neither Jake Layman nor Diamond Stone were starters on their teams, Layman enjoyed more playing time than Stone.
Layman played in 249 minutes and appeared in 35 of the Portland Trail Blazers’ 82 games last year. Meanwhile, Stone played just 24 minutes with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Next season, though, it looks like Stone could get some more playing time, as he is reported to be part of a trade sending him from the Clippers to the Atlanta Hawks.
Stone struggled for time last year thanks in part to the fact that he was backing up DeAndre Jordan, aka a superstar defender who was named to the NBA All-Star Game last year. With the Hawks, on the other hand, Stone will be competing with first-round draft picks John Collins and Miles Plumlee for playing time.
The Hawks traded Dwight Howard and are planning to trade Paul Millsap, which indicates they are looking to rebuild and create a younger team.
It is unclear how Stone fits into Atlanta’s plans given that they picked a center in this year’s draft. That being said, the Hawks will give Stone a chance to earn more playing time without the pressure of needing to make the playoffs like the Clippers last season.
Diamond Stone will still need to prove he is capable of being a NBA center, but his move to Atlanta will give him a better opportunity to do just that.
