Atlanta Hawks waive three forwards; cut roster to 17

With the Atlanta Hawks roster still holding a robust 20 players entering Monday morning, it was inevitable that the “hammer” would be dropping on a few guys in the near future. During the midday hours on Monday, that became reality for 3 players:

In fairness, none of these cuts is considered to be a “surprise”. Most people surrounding the organization felt that Lighty and Thomas were almost-certain roster casualties, and even in the case of Wilkins, he was considered to be a fringe candidate in a (losing) battle with another non-roster invitee, James Johnson, for consideration. None of the players were given guaranteed contracts, and only Wilkins has any legitimate NBA experience.

All 3 players play virtually the same position (swingman), and that is the continuing “hole” on this roster. With that, there will be an increased focus on the aforementioned James Johnson, who is now the only remaining question mark on the wing with regard to the opening night roster for Atlanta.

Keep an eye on the roster, as this is sure to be an important week-plus for the decision-makers in Atlanta, with the Hawks hosting three preseason games in the next 10 days.