Atlanta Chose International Rights and a Future Second
Atlanta sent big man Priest Lauderdale to Denver in September 1997 for rights to Efthimios Rentzias and a future 2000 second-round selection. The historical draft record later identifies that position with No. 40 Hanno Mottola. The Hawks collected two development opportunities while the Nuggets acquired a current center option. Rentzias already had professional experience outside the NBA, but receiving his rights wasn't the same as adding a player under contract for the coming Atlanta season. The additional future second would not be exercised until nearly three years later, adding uncertainty to the return.
Lauderdale Gave Denver an Immediately Available Big Man
Lauderdale brought unusual height and an NBA frontcourt profile that Denver could evaluate immediately. His selection history and past teams gave the Nuggets a reason to examine him, but they didn't guarantee sustained starting minutes or playoff success. The price was one international rights claim and a distant draft pick, so Denver had reason to prioritize direct center depth instead of holding speculative future assets. His eventual role depended on practice performance, health and subsequent roster moves. The trade didn't deliver a premier first-round selection or an established All-Star to either party.
Rentzias and Mottola Offered Separate Prospects
Atlanta could negotiate the rights to Rentzias and separately use the 2000 selection associated with Mottola. Those two prospects followed different professional paths, and neither should be automatically credited with all subsequent NBA or overseas performance for Atlanta. A draft right gives the original receiving club control over a decision or another possible transaction, not an eternal claim to any player's career statistics. Mottola's selection name supplies a concrete endpoint to the pick chain, while Rentzias's international background gives context for why a team might value the rights. The two assets shouldn't be combined as a single roster addition.
The Hawks Gained More Ways to Develop Depth
Atlanta converted one center into rights to a different big man and an eventual second-round prospect opportunity. That provided more distinct possibilities than a simple player swap, even if the actual NBA returns were uncertain. Denver's interest in an available center made sense in the short term, but the additional future right tilted the potential value toward Atlanta. A Hawks-winning result is reasonable without assigning the entire later careers of Rentzias or Mottola to the club. Moderate grades reflect the speculative nature of these assets and the limited certainty of Lauderdale's new NBA role.
Final Verdict
Hawks Win. Atlanta Hawks earns B; Denver Nuggets earns C+. Atlanta converted one center into rights to a different big man and an eventual second-round prospect opportunity. That provided more distinct possibilities than a simple player swap, even if the actual NBA returns were uncertain. Denver's interest in an available Previous clubs and any subsequent draft-rights transfers are not credited as current receiving-team NBA games.