At exactly 5:30 p.m. Eastern today, the Atlanta Hawks released a statement saying the team had requested waivers on Sharife Cooper. This move came three days after Cooper signed his Two-Way contract, which the team tendered on June 29.
There is a lot to unpack with this move. First, it clears up a Two-Way roster spot for the Hawks. There are currently 14 players on full contracts , and just Chaundee Brown is the only Two-Way player. This move does not impact the salary cap. Given the makeup of the roster, the front office should easily be able to find a player who can contribute more than Cooper.
Secondly, it makes Cooper an unrestricted free agent. The undersized point guard was the Hawks' second round selection (48th overall) in the 2021 NBA Draft. Cooper played just 39 total minutes in the NBA but excelled in the G League. Cooper averaged 17.4 points, 6.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in 29.9 minutes for the College Park Skyhawks.
Unfortunately, Cooper struggled during the NBA 2K23 Summer League in Las Vegas over a week ago. He averaged 4.4 points, 4.2 assists, 3.3 turnovers, and shot an abysmal 18.9 FG% and 18.2 3PT%. To be fair, Cooper played through right thumb soreness, which undoubtedly hurt his shooting ability.
Cooper was a fan favorite, and we hate to see him go. Given his work ethic and professionalism, he will easily find at least a G League contract with another team. Stay locked into AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis.
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