Grading the Atlanta Hawks Decision To Waive Devin Carter

It was no secret that the Atlanta Hawks, like many other teams in the NBA, were in a roster crunch and had some moves to make. Atlanta had 17 players on their roster after completing the three-team trade with Oklahoma City and Dallas that sent Lu Dort and Ryan Nembhard to the Hawks, Zaccharie Risacher to Dallas, and a couple of second-round picks to the Thunder.

Because teams can roster up to 21 players in the offseason, Atlanta was not in a hurry to cut their roster down. They could survey the landscape and see what kind of trades are out there for players they might want to move, such as Corey Kispert and Buddy Hield, but after a couple of months trying to figure out what to do, the Hawks made a move yesterday.

Atlanta opted to wait until last night to make their first move, and they chose to waive Devin Carter. Carter, the 14th overall pick in 2024, was acquired by the Hawks earlier in the offseason in a trade that also saw Atlanta get a second-round pick from the Kings. Even when they acquired him, it was speculated that the Hawks could move him, especially after they acquired Nembhard. The guard room got full, and the Hawks cleared room by waiving Carter. Now, the Hawks still have one more move to make to get their roster to 15, but Carter won't be a Hawk this season.

Was this the right move for the Hawks?

Grading the decision

Devin Carter Sacramento King — Apr 5, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Devin Carter (22) dribbles against LA Clippers guard Darius Garland (10) during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The No.1 thing to remember about the Hawks acquiring Carter from the Kings earlier this offseason is that Atlanta did not give anything up and they got a second-round pick back from the Kings as well. That automatically makes it a non-disaster type of a trade, especially when Carter has a lot of unknowns as a player.

The reason that Carter was drafted 14th overall was because of his defensive ability. Carter showcased that ability at times with the Kings, but struggled to stay healthy. Carter has only played in 74 games through his first two seasons and has been a subpar offensive player. In two seasons, Carter has averages of 40% shooting from the floor and 27% from three, while not being much of a passer.

Of the choices that the Hawks had to clear their roster, was it the best move to waive Carter and still be on the hook for his $5 million salary?

Clearly, the Hawks would rather have Nembhard than Carter and I think Carter being one of the odd men out on this roster is a good sign for Nembhard's chances to make this roster. It is not a lock of course, but the odds are in his favor.

On one hand, the Hawks having to waive Carter and keep his salary on the books this season is not ideal, especially since this will still hinder the Hawks ability to add anyone else to the roster since they are only $3.8 million away from the luxury tax, something the Hawks are not going to pay this season.

But the Hawks did not give up anything to get Carter and while the idea of Carter as a player is nice, he has not lived up to that for a number of reasons. I think this is a so-so move and a C+. Not a surprising or terrible move.

Grade: C+

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