The Atlanta Hawks announced Wednesday that they have waived F/C Jeremy Tyler.

Tyler was acquired from the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 21, and only appeared in one game for the Hawks — Monday at Denver. He had an encouraging debut with three rebounds in five minutes of action, but apparently GM Danny Ferry didn’t think so.

This roster move by Atlanta cuts the team down to 14 players. Could this be a move that makes room for Jannero Pargo? Pargo was signed to two 10-day contracts with the Hawks earlier this year on Jan. 21 and Feb 2, respectively, and therefore cannot sign another 10-day contract, per NBA rule (2x limit). Instead, Atlanta would have to make the commitment of signing him for the remainder of the season. However, the Hawks are free to sign any player other then Pargo to a 10-day contract.

When Jeremy Tyler hit the floor at the beginning of the 2nd quarter in Denver, it was his first game action since February 9th when he was a member of the Golden State Warriors. Monday marked the 7th game that Atlanta had played since his acquisition, but it was the first opportunity to touch the court as a member of the Atlanta Hawks, and he didn’t disappoint.

The code word of “upside” is generally reserved for under-developed players with physical talents and skills, and that certainly applies to Tyler. On the bright side last night, you could just see the athleticism as he bounced around the court at 6’10, 260 lbs with ease. The numbers weren’t (on the whole) impressive over his brief, 5-minute appearance, but he did manage to grab 3 rebounds, and at no point did he look out of place on the court. There is a mold of young, athletic bigs (think Derrick Favors?) that I believe Tyler fits into as far as talent/explosion, but the knocks on him in previous stops surround his motor and offensive skill level.

Personally, I didn’t see any motor concerns on the court Monday night, and while I admit that 5 minutes is a wildly small sample to evaluate such a trait, Tyler moved with energy throughout the night, showing on screens and attacking the glass aggressively, especially on the defensive end. If he’s going to make an impact on the Hawks this season, it would likely take an injury (to Zaza and/or Ivan Johnson), but he showed (again, over a small sample) that it wouldn’t be an immediate liability to put him on the court.

It’s tough to take too much out of his debut, but there is significant upside in Tyler, and for the price that Danny Ferry paid (a 2013 2nd-round pick) for him, it’s a no-lose situation. It’s a lottery ticket that this franchise hasn’t seemed to convert on a regular basis, but it’s great to see a long, athletic big man roaming the paint for Atlanta.

Dec 15, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jeremy Tyler (3) attempts to hold on to the ball while being defended by Atlanta Hawks forward Anthony Tolliver (center) and center Johan Petro (10) during the second half at Philips Arena. Warriors won 115-93. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Though there was no major move at the trade deadline involving Josh Smith, the Atlanta Hawks did make a couple of small moves. One was swapping Anthony Morrow for Dahntay Jones and the second was picking up Jeremy Tyler from the Golden State Warriors. Ken Berger first reported:

Golden State gets a second-round pick each from Atlanta (Jeremy Tyler) and Philadelphia (Charles Jenkins) in its tax-driven salary dumps.

— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) February 21, 2013

Avid basketball fans may remember Tyler choosing to play basketball overseas rather than attend a college program upon graduating high school. He is the second notable NBA player to do so, following in the steps of Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks. He signed with Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Super League in 2009 and then with Tokyo Apache of the Japanese professional basketball league in 2010.

In 2011, he was drafted in the second round by the Charlotte Bobcats, 39th overall, and immediately traded to the Golden State Warriors. He is a 6’10″ power forward with high potential but little polish. Tyler may offer something to the Hawks down the road but he probably will not contribute immediately.