Hawks have apparent change of heart on veteran hours before 1st preseason game

Look out Carmelo Anthony, Rudy Gay, and a host of other players who have ever been traded to the Atlanta Hawks only to never play for them, a new member has joined your ranks.

One day after they filled the final spot on their preseason roster with former Los Angeles Lakers first-round pick Tony Bradley, the Hawks have parted ways with the journeyman big man with their preseason opener versus the Indiana Pacers just hours away.

“Hawks requested waivers on Tony Bradley today,” NBA.com’s Kevin Chouinard reported on X on October 8.

Bradley, 26, was going to be buried on the depth chart. 

But he still figured to get some run with Hawks’ big man Onyeka Okongwu still ramping up by his own admission from a foot injury suffered late last season. The Hawks also have Cody Zeller, who is listed on the roster but was not a part of media day.

The Hawks still have starting center Clint Capela and have offseason trade acquisition Larry Nance Jr. and second-year big man Mouhamed Gueye to fill in behind him.

Bradley’s career is most notable for the wrong reasons at this point.

Still, the move is a bit of a surprise after Bradley was just added less than 24 hours before he was let go. That beats Anthony and Gay’s respective tenures, which each lasted five days before they were waived and traded, respectively.

Hawks’ roster remains in flux on eve of preseason opener

While Bradley being waived may be good news for Okongwu, it further clouds what if any role Zeller will have with the Hawks this preseason.

Hawks general manager Landry Fields explained the ongoing process on media day.

“It's still an evaluation right now as it relates to our roster and how that's going to shape up going into training camp,” Fields told reporters on September 30. “We're in talks with his camp. Just kind of seeing what that's going to look like for the future.”

Maybe the two sides agreed to table any decision until deeper into the preseason, when new opportunities may arise for the veteran.

Bradley is on waivers for the third time in the last 19 months.

He was one of three Hawks players on exhibit-10 contracts, with guards Daeqwon Plowden and Kevon Harris the others. However, unlike Harris and Plowden, Bradley’s contract was ineligible for conversion into a two-way deal.

The Hawks once again have one open roster spot with several key decisions potentially looming on the horizon.