Walter Tavares

Tavares came over from Spain last summer to begin his NBA career, but his rookie season was essentially a developmental one. The center from Cape Verde ended up seeing the floor in just 11 games with the Hawks, with almost all of his extended stretches of playing time instead coming in the D-League, where he averaged 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game across 29 appearances. At 7-foot-3, Tavares' impressive size is the primary reason why the Hawks spent a second-round draft pick on him in 2014, but he's still a relative neophyte at the game, having not played basketball until he turned 18. Despite his lack of experience, Tavares' huge frame and wingspan makes him a rim-protecting threat, but a lack of mobility and conditioning will likely prevent him from playing more than occasional spurts at the NBA level. That said, with a full season of NBA training already under his belt, Tavares stands to show some improvement in Year 2, though he's not expected to open the 2016-17 campaign as a member of the Hawks rotation.