The Atlanta Hawks have been linked to former Maryland center Diamond Stone in at least one NBA mock draft, and now, there is reportedly some fire to that smoke in the form of a pre-draft workout.
Diamond Stone previously worked out for Atlanta Hawks. Headed to Phoenix next.
— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) June 2, 2016
The 6-foot-10 big man would be an interesting and potentially challenging fit in Atlanta, given that he is much more of a post scorer than anything else at this stage. Stone averaged 12.5 points per game (in only 22.6 minutes) during his freshman season at Maryland, and he was highly efficient in shooting 57% from the floor and a solid 76% from the free throw line.
Stone does have some defensive appeal in that he has displayed quality shot-blocking instincts at the college level (1.6 blocks per game in those 22.6 minutes), but he is also a fairly limited athlete. Scouts continue to be all over the board on Stone's upside, especially in a league that does not value scoring big men at the same rate, but many have criticized Atlanta for a lack of "true" bigs in the past and Stone is certainly one of them.
Workouts will continue, both publicly and behind closed doors, until the draft in three weeks, and Diamond Stone can be added to the list.