Maryland Basketball: Diamond Stone on the move

Diamond Stone was one of the biggest recruits to come through College Park in recent memory.

However, Stone barely saw the floor during his rookie season with the Los Angeles Clippers. Now he is on the move via the trade market.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Stone has been traded in a deal that ships Danilo Gallinari to the Clippers, Paul Millsap to the Denver Nuggets, and Jamal Crawford and Stone to the Atlanta Hawks.

With the Clippers resigning Blake Griffin, their frontcourt would include DeAndre Jordan, Griffin, and Gallinari.

This move would be great for Stone, as he never really got a chance in Los Angeles. After being drafted 40th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, Stone has spent most of the year on D-League assignments in Santa Cruz and Salt Lake City.

According to reports, Atlanta was very intrigued by the prospect of acquiring Stone.

Stone managed to suit up and play in just seven games for the Clippers because of the front court depth they had. The Hawks, however, need all the help they can get inside with the offseason that they’ve encountered.

Atlanta traded away Dwight Howard during the 2017 NBA Draft, and this deal would send Millsap to Denver, leaving their power forward and Center spots wide open.

Next: Recruiting has changed since D.J. Durkin took over

Stone averaged 16.2 points and 7.0 rebounds-per-game in his 13 D-League appearances last season. With a little work and some trust, he could wedge his way into the center rotation and shine in Atlanta.