The Atlanta Hawks’ decision to waive Devin Carter brought their roster down to 16 players, leaving one more move before reaching the 15-man limit. That naturally puts the spotlight on players whose roles in Atlanta remain uncertain, including Mouhamed Gueye and Buddy Hield.
At first glance, Hield could appear to be the obvious choice to move. He hasn't been much of a contributor since arriving in Atlanta, but focusing solely on his place in Quin Snyder's rotation overlooks another way Hield could provide value to the Hawks.
If President of Basketball Operations Onsi Saleh eventually wants to pursue another star to pair with Jalen Johnson, Hield's $9.66 million salary could become a useful piece of the financial puzzle. That possibility alone gives Atlanta a legitimate reason to keep him around for now.
Buddy Hield's contract could become more valuable than his minutes
There is an understandable argument for Atlanta prioritizing someone who could actually contribute on the court. If Hield isn't going to receive meaningful minutes, keeping him over another player might seem counterproductive for a team attempting to maximize its depth.
But roster spots aren't always determined strictly by current production. Contracts themselves can become assets in trade negotiations, particularly when teams need enough outgoing salary to construct a deal for a higher-priced player.
That's where Hield becomes interesting. His $9.66 million salary is large enough to help Atlanta aggregate money in a future transaction without being so substantial that it becomes difficult to move, giving Saleh another mechanism to work with if the right opportunity emerges.
Compare that with Gueye, who is making roughly $2.4 million on a non-guaranteed contract with a team option. Atlanta could understandably value his developmental upside, but his smaller salary doesn't provide nearly the same flexibility when trying to build the financial framework of a significant trade.
Atlanta shouldn't sacrifice flexibility before it needs to
None of this means Hield is destined to be included in a blockbuster. Atlanta could ultimately trade him in a smaller move that improves the roster around the edges, or circumstances could change enough that keeping him no longer makes sense.
The larger point is that the Hawks don't need to rush that decision simply because Hield isn't currently an important part of Snyder's rotation. Saleh has consistently positioned Atlanta to maintain options, and Hield's contract represents another one of those options.
That could become particularly important if Atlanta identifies a legitimate co-star for Johnson. Acquiring a difference-maker will likely require draft capital, young talent and enough outgoing salary to make the transaction financially workable, meaning the Hawks could need every useful asset available.
Waiving or cheaply moving Hield now could eliminate one of those pieces before Atlanta knows whether it will need him. Keeping him doesn't guarantee a major trade, but it preserves another pathway for Saleh to pursue one without unnecessarily disrupting more important parts of the roster.
Atlanta still has to make one more difficult roster decision. But when evaluating Hield, the Hawks shouldn't simply ask how many minutes he can provide this season.
His greatest value might ultimately come when Saleh decides it's finally time to make the move that raises Atlanta's ceiling.
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