Updated Depth Chart + Projected Rotation For The Hawks After Waiving Devin carter

How will the Hawks depth chart and rotation shake out after their decision to waive Devin Carter?

Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets the eighth pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Houston guard Kingston Flemings after he was selected by the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Atlanta Hawks are one step away from having the right number of players on their roster for the upcoming season.

Atlanta has been rostering 17 players for the past couple of months, and they were going to have to cut that number down to at least 15 before the regular season began. There was plenty of speculation about what Atlanta was going to do to cut their roster down, and they answered one part of that yesterday when they waived Devin Carter to get to 16 players.

Does Carter's absence change anything about the rotation? The answer is maybe.

Projected rotation

Apr 7, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard (9) controls the ball during the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Starting lineup:

G- CJ McCollum
G- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
F- Dyson Daniels
F- Jalen Johnson
C- Onyeka Okongwu

Not much needs to be said here.

Carter being waived is not going to change anything for the Hawks when it comes to the starting lineup. The Hawks had one of the best starting lineups in the NBA after the All-Star Break, and while there is an outside chance of Lu Dort starting for the Hawks (possibly replacing NAW), I find that unlikely given the success of this lineup.

Top of the rotation

G- Kingston Flemings/Ryan Nembhard
G- Aaron Wiggins
F- Lu Dort
F- Mouhamed Gueye/Asa Newell/Zuby Ejiofor
C- Jock Landale

Wiggins, Dort, and Landale are locks to be the first three off the bench for the Hawks each night. Dort and Wiggins were the top two acquisitions for the Hawks this offseason and both are going to be vital two-way pieces.

There was a feeling that the last guard spot for the Hawks was going to come down to either Carter or Nembhard. The Hawks acquired Nembhard as a part of the three-team trade that also landed them Dort and he flashed some real skills as a point guard for the Mavericks, even though his size (5'10) is not ideal when it comes to defense.

I think Carter being waived means the Hawks are going to keep Nembhard and let him battle with rookie Kingston Flemings for the backup point guard spot. Flemings taking that role would be the best outcome for the Hawks, but having someone there to push him in training camp and the preseason will give the Hawks an early idea about how ready he is.

Back of the rotation

G- Buddy Hield
F- Corey Kispert
C- Henri Veesaar

Nembhard could be here if Flemings beats him out for the backup point guard. Kispert and Hield are candidates to be moved to cut the roster down, but those moves could be tough considering their contracts and how little value they have around the league. Of the three rookies the Hawks drafted, Veesaar is the least likely to be in the rotation and is likely in for a developmental year in his rookie season.