The Devin Carter era in Atlanta is over.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Hawks are waiving the former lottery pick, beginning their long-awaited roster crunch.
Before releasing Carter, Atlanta was at 17 rostered players. With the season quickly approaching, they've been needing to get down to 15. They would have to, one way or another.
Of all the candidates to potentially part from the organization, Carter made the most sense. It would've been logical to consider cutting him before, but after a key offseason addition, any idea of him remaining on the roster for the 2026-27 season was practically eliminated.
Hawks needed to choose between him and Ryan Nembhard
It was one or the other.
Everyone seems to be forgetting that the Hawks acquired Nembhard in the same deal that brought defensive ace Lu Dort to town.
Understandably so. Atlanta shipped off a former first-overall pick in exchange for one of the top defenders in the league. Nembhard, as talented as he is, was seen as a piece that was simply thrown into the deal in order to make the finances work.
Adding him to a guard room that already featured CJ McCollum, Kingston Flemings and Devin Carter seemed a bit repetitive. One of them had to go, and it certainly wasn't going to be McCollum or Flemings.
There isn't much separating Carter and Nembhard, but little things gave the former Maverick the advantage. He's slightly younger, on a cheaper contract, and gives the Hawks a unique level of playmaking in the event of an injury.
There's no clear overlap between him and anyone else on the roster, whereas Carter somewhat resembles Atlanta's rookie. They're both super quick, athletic and impressive defenders for their size.
Again, the organization had to be really picky in order to choose between the two.
Hawks should only have one more move left to make
Once Carter officially hits waivers, Atlanta will have 16 rostered players. One step closer to reaching 15 - the maximum amount they can have entering the season.
Their next decision is much less clear. Do they find a trade partner for Buddy Hield or Corey Kispert? Do they release fan-favorite Mo Gueye?
It's up to them to determine which is the correct way forward, but they'll need to decide sooner rather than later. Having the first part out of the way is a relief, though, and Hawks fans should wish Carter nothing but the best in the next step of his career.
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