Devin Carter didn’t stay available for long, and that alone says plenty about what the Atlanta Hawks were dealing with this offseason.
A young, defensive-minded guard in his third NBA season rarely reaches free agency, especially one with Carter’s kind of value on that end of the floor. But Atlanta had a crowded roster and had to make a painful choice. Carter was the odd man out, not because he couldn’t earn a spot, but because the Hawks had so much talent packed into the same space.
The Boston Celtics moved quickly and gave him a new deal, which only reinforces the point: Carter was never short on ability. His offensive game still has room to grow, but the upside is there, and his defense is already established. That kind of player doesn’t sit around for long.
The Hawks’ decision came down to a brutal comparison: one young guard with more offensive upside or another with more defensive value. If the roster had looked different, Carter might still be in Atlanta. But it didn’t, and that left him caught in the middle of a numbers game.
He also wasn’t helped by the fact that Atlanta already had Kingston Flemings, a guard whose game overlaps with Carter’s in several ways, even if their offensive profiles aren’t identical. If the Hawks believe Flemings can deliver similar defense while being the more polished offensive player, Carter’s path gets a lot harder.
Ryan Nembhard was part of that equation too. Atlanta’s choice ultimately came down to Carter and Nembhard, and the Hawks kept the guard who brings a different kind of offense than Flemings and veteran CJ McCollum. Nembhard is willing to take on the role of offensive engine despite the size disadvantage, and at his best, he can be the offense.
That’s how a player like Carter ends up elsewhere. It’s not about lack of talent. It’s about too many good options and not enough room.
And there’s a real chance this comes back around on the Hawks. Carter could find his rhythm in Boston or somewhere else in his third or fourth season and make Atlanta look back on this call with regret. For now, he has a clear chip on his shoulder and a simple message to prove: he’s more than a cut candidate.
That’s the price of loading up on talent in one offseason. Sometimes the roster gets too full, and somebody good has to go.
In Other News...
Lu Dort Has To Be More Than A Hawks Stopgap
Atlanta spent this offseason reshaping its wing rotation, and Lu Dort arrived as part of a three-team trade with a clear purpose: help fill the hole left by Zaccharie Risacher. The fit makes sense on paper. Dort brings toughness, physicality and the kind of edge that can matter in a crowded Eastern Conference, where Atlanta is trying to climb into a more serious tier before the season gets away from it.
But the Hawks cannot treat him like a simple plug-in. The next step is less about what Dort already does well and more about whether he can sharpen the parts of his game that decide bigger roles, from cleaner shot choices to steadier work at the point of attack. If Atlanta is going to lean on him when the games tighten, it will also need more than defense and energy. It will need a player who can help guide the group when the postseason pressure finally arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Rookie Faces The Same Early Test Jalen Johnson Once Did
Jalen Johnsons early path is a useful reminder that development in Atlanta does not always happen in a straight line. Much of his first stretch in the league came through the College Park Skyhawks, and the Hawks have clearly become comfortable using their G League affiliate as a real part of the growth plan, not just a holding spot for fringe players. That track record helped shape how the team approached this years rookie class, where Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor and Henri Veesaar are all facing different early expectations.
Veesaar looks like the latest prospect to be asked to take that route, and Atlanta seems willing to be patient with it. The organization has seen enough success developing players through College Park to believe it can matter in the long run, even if the early stages are less visible to fans watching the NBA roster every night. For a rookie trying to carve out a future, it is the same sort of test Johnson had to answer, only now the Hawks are asking it again with another young big in the pipeline. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Still Have One Frontcourt Problem They Haven't Fixed
The Hawks spent the offseason trying to round out the roster, adding Kingston Flemings and Henri Veesaar in the draft, then bringing in Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Ryan Nembhard through trades while keeping CJ McCollum and Jock Landale in place. It was a busy stretch aimed at giving the roster more balance, and in a lot of areas Atlanta looks better equipped than it did a year ago.
One problem, though, still hangs over the frontcourt. Against teams that can roll out a true two-big attack, the Hawks are counting on Landale along with rookies Zuby Ejiofor and Veesaar to cover the middle, which leaves some real uncertainty there. Onsi Saleh pointed to Ejiofor as a physical, switchable piece with upside for playoff basketball if his shot comes along, but for now that is still more projection than proven answer. [Read more 🡒]