It's not often a young player of Devin Carter's caliber is available for the taking this late into an offseason.
Defensive-minded guards entering their third NBA season hardly ever hit free agency to begin with. Nonetheless, the Atlanta Hawks had too many players on their roster, and in needing to cut the group down, Carter was ultimately sacrificed.
The decision had nothing to do with him being incapable of locking down a roster spot. Amidst any offensive struggles he displays, he's got plenty of untapped potential on that end, as well as proven excellence on the other. All 30 teams could use a player like him.
Of course, the Boston Celtics were aware of his talent, inking him to a new deal. Atlanta may be more loaded than anyone is realizing.
Releasing Carter came down to potential vs. potential
Their first roster cut was either going to be a young guard with high offensive upside, or a young guard with high defensive upside.
If the roster wasn't structured the way it was at the time they made the impossible decision, maybe Carter would still be in Atlanta.
It's not his fault, however, that the Hawks already had Kingston Flemings on the roster - a guard he closely resembles, aside from a few key offensive differences.
If Flemings is expected to be a similar level of defender, but much more of a finished product offensively, why would they opt to keep Carter around? Especially considering they also added Ryan Nembhard.
The waiving decision was ultimately between Carter and Nembhard, and they elected to hold on to one who provides a very different attack than Flemings and veteran CJ McCollum.
Nembhard lets it fly more than Flemings - unafraid to lead an offense despite having a clear size disadvantage. At his peak, he could be on offense unto himself.
Rostering too much talent often comes at a cost
There's a realistic chance that Carter - whether in Boston or somewhere else - hits his stride in his third or fourth NBA season, making the Hawks deeply regret their choice.
At the very least, he now has a much larger chip on his shoulder, aiming to prove he's much more than a cut candidate.
In the NBA, not every move can work. While at the time, it looks to be a wise decision, it could age poorly. It's the unfortunate cost of adding too much talent in a single offseason.
That's a pretty good problem to have.
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