Hawks waiving veteran guard Patty Mills

The Atlanta Hawks are waiving 15-year veteran guard Patty Mills, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. The Hawks reportedly made the move to open a roster spot.

Atlanta plans to fill the spot by converting guard Trent Forrest’s two-way deal into a standard NBA contract. Forrest has played 20 games this season, his second in Atlanta after being in Utah from 2020-22.

The NBA deadline to waive a player and become playoff eligible is 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, March 1.

Hawks plan to use open roster spot to convert two-way guard Trent Forrest on a standard NBA contract, per league sources. Forrest has played 20 games this season, his second in Atlanta after being in Utah from 2020-22. https://t.co/LhwGg75bJM

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 29, 2024

Mills, 35, has made only 19 appearances off the bench this season. The 6-foot-2 guard is averaging 2.7 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 10.6 minutes per game while shooting a career-low 37.3% from the field and 38.2% beyond the arc.

In Atlanta’s 134-112 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 24, Mills recorded a season-high 13 points, two rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 21 minutes as a reserve.

This decision comes days after the Hawks lost All-Star guard Trae Young for at least four weeks with a torn ligament in his left pinkie finger. Atlanta announced the injury Sunday.

Did Atlanta Hawks also waive Patty Mills because of lack of production, Trae Young’s injury?

Young suffered his finger injury during Friday night’s loss to the Toronto Raptors and underwent surgery Tuesday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. The team said Young will be re-evaluated in four weeks.

“You feel awful for Trae more than anything,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “It is going to be a challenge for him not to be out there.”

Mills’ departure likely had something to do with his lack of touches. With Young out, Dejounte Murray is expected to become the team’s primary ballhandler.

@Patty_Mills Shooting Corner Threes pic.twitter.com/CUwlnRwmmz

— HoopStudy (@hoopstudy) February 28, 2024

Bogdan Bogdanovic replaced Young in the starting lineup ahead of Sunday night’s game against the Orlando Magic.

Another notable loss is starting center Onyeka Okongwu (sprained left toe). Snyder said last Thursday that Okongwu will not be available for the foreseeable future.

“You have to adapt,” Snyder said. “That happened when we lost Jalen [Johnson]. We have to have minutes from Kobe [Bufkin] and Patty, and we obviously know what Dejounte can do. I don’t want to wallow in anything.”

Although Bufkin returned after recovering from a fractured left thumb, Murray and Bogdanovic may still struggle to carry the load during Young’s absence.