Lucas

Nogueira

Nogueira announced his retirement back in February after failing to gain any traction in his short NBA career. Nogueira was taken one pick after Giannis Antetokounmpo at No. 16 in the 2013 NBA draft before staying in Europe for a season, and being traded to Toronto in 2014. He had not been on an NBA roster since the end of the 2018 season and looked ready to call it a career earlier this year. But now, an opportunity to play in his home country of Brazil has the big man back on the court again.

It’s a bit odd that Nogueira wasn’t able to find much traction as a free agent, but his deal with the Spanish club will include an NBA out clause should an opportunity present itself for him to come back stateside. Bebe performed well when given the minutes, but he’s had trouble staying healthy, and at times, it seemed he wasn’t completely locked in when he was on the court.

Dallas and Boston swapped picks earlier in the draft, and then the Mavericks moved this pick to the Hawks. The big man can run the floor and gives the Hawks a center they coveted, but we doubt this move will free Al Horford from his dream of moving from center to power forward in Atlanta anytime soon -- as Chris Mannix is reporting the Hawks will likely stash him overseas. Dallas traded the 16th pick and SG Jared Cunningham to the Hawks for two picks - No. 18 and 44, in order to get Nogueira and Cunningham.

“We are very encouraged by what we’ve seen from Lucas this summer,” Ferry said. “Going back to Estudiantes will allow him to continue develop while also playing meaningful minutes against very good competition. We will closely monitor his progress as he works towards his goals as a basketball player.” The 21-year-old big man will play in Spain next season, but the Hawks still have his draft rights. Once he develops, Nogueira has some length and could be a useful player around the basket.

The team decided to let Nogueira continue to develop in Spain instead of trying to find him minutes in their crowded frontcourt. The 7-footer averaged 6.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game during Summer League, but was often pushed around under the basket and the team would like him to add weight to his frame.

Nogueira is extremely raw and needs to add serious muscle to his seven-foot frame. He would likely get a lot more playing time in Spain, but if his body is the main concern, even Nogueira admits he’s probably better off to remain with the Hawks. “I know I can improve my game in Spain. I improved so much this year from last year,” Nogueira said. “Right now, the most important thing is my body. I can’t improve my body in Spain. I’m perfect to stay here because the most important thing is to improve my body.”

The team is reportedly concerned about him going overseas to Spain and the move could save them just under $1 million. Nogueira had some impressive highlights in summer leagues with a slew of dunks while protecting the rim. He’s extremely raw, so it might be a while before he makes an impact in the NBA.

It’s not encouraging to see a 21-year-old crippled by tendinitis but the good news is that he’s healthy enough to resume playing for Tuenti Móvil Estudiantes in Spain. It’s possible that Atlanta will sign him for the 2014-15 season and we’ll keep an eye on his development and health over the summer.

He’s out at least two months and will return to play in Spain whenever he’s healthy, so this news doesn’t have any fantasy implications.

The 7'0" center spent 10 weeks in Atlanta receiving treatment for “severe tendinitis” and it’s great to see him back on the court, even if he’s irrelevant for fantasy purposes this season.