Hawks waive former NBA champion

The Hawks will place veteran guard Patty Mills on waivers, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Mills, 35, was traded three times last July before winding up in Atlanta. He has appeared in just 19 games this season and hasn’t played since February 7. In his 15th NBA season, Mills is averaging 2.7 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 10.6 minutes per night, but he’s shooting 38.2% from three-point range, so he could have value for a contending team seeking an experienced shooter.

Assuming Mills is waived before Friday, he will be eligible to appear in the playoffs if he signs with another club by the end of the season. He has a $6.8M expiring contract, so the Hawks won’t owe him any money beyond this season.

The Hawks will use the open roster spot to convert two-way guard Trent Forrest to a standard NBA contract, Charania tweets. The move will make Forrest eligible to play again as he had already reached his 50-game limit as a two-way player, even though he has only appeared in 20 games, averaging 2.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 10.5 minutes per night off Atlanta’s bench.

Forrest, 25, is in his second season with Atlanta after signing a two-way deal with the team in the summer of 2022. Prior to that, he played two years in Utah.

The Hawks now have a full 15-man roster and a two-way opening that can be filled through March 4.