Hawks To Waive Devin Carter

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms the news (via Twitter).

Carter is owed a guaranteed $5,158,080 this season. The Hawks will decline their fourth-year option on Carter, valued at $7,370,897 for the 2027/28 campaign, as part of the transaction.

Atlanta acquired Carter and a 2033 second-round pick from Sacramento at the end of June. It was a cost-cutting move for the Kings, who also waived DeMar DeRozan’s partially guaranteed contract this offseason and then used the stretch provision to spread his remaining salary over three years.

I speculated at the end of July that Carter seemed likely to be one of the odd men out in Atlanta when I previewed potential roster crunches and reiterated that point this afternoon when I wrote that his fourth-year option would likely be declined whether he made the roster or not. Our Luke Adams also viewed Carter as a likely victim of Atlanta’s roster crunch in his Offseason Check-In.

The Hawks will still have 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts after cutting the former Providence star, with Mouhamed Gueye — who’s currently sidelined due to a foot fracture — on a non-guaranteed deal.

Carter, 24, was the Kings’ lottery pick just two years ago, having been selected 13th overall in the 2024 draft. However, his NBA debut was delayed due to left shoulder surgery and he battled ankle, back, and calf issues during his second season in 2025/26. He appeared in just 74 total regular season games in his two years with the Kings, averaging 6.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 14.8 minutes per contest, with an underwhelming .401/.274/.674 shooting line.

Carter’s spot on the Hawks’ roster appeared shaky when they initially acquired him, since they acquired a second-round pick to take on his unwanted contract, and it seemed likely that he’d eventually be on the move after Atlanta acquired Ryan Nembhard from Dallas as part of the Luguentz Dort/Zaccharie Risacher trade.

Carter showed real promise as a junior for the Friars in 2023/24, averaging 19.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.8 SPG and 1.0 SPG on .473/.377/.749 shooting in 35 games and claiming the Big East Player of the Year award. He’ll be hoping to revive his NBA career with a new team.

Since Carter only has two years of NBA experience, he remains eligible for a two-way contract. It’s unclear whether or not he’d accept such a major pay cut, but he’ll be making his $5.16MM this season either way.