Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Hawks Waive Former Laker Ryan Kelly

With the 2016-17 NBA season tipping off in less than a week, teams are scrambling to polish off their fifteen-man roster. Last night, the Atlanta Hawks waived former Los Angeles Lakers forward Ryan Kelly to bring that number down to eighteen, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Kelly, 25, spent three seasons in the NBA as a member of the Lakers after being selected 48th overall in the 2013 draft. After averaging 22.9 minutes per contest during his first two seasons in Los Angeles, Kelly saw his playing time diminish last season, playing just 13.1 minutes per game because of the team’s young players. He averaged 4.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in such game, shooting just 36.9% from the field and 68.5% from the line. After spending a portion of 2015-16 in the D-League, he decided to ink a deal with Atlanta when he became a free-agent.

With their roster standing at eighteen players, Atlanta needs to scramble to shave it down to fifteen in just six days. Josh Magette and Will Bynum are two players on thin ice to make the Hawks’ roster. In few days, these two non-guaranteed contract players may also get the news Kelly received.

Ryan Kelly is still young enough to grow in the league, and could be picked up by a team to fill the role player spot off the bench. If need be, Kelly may decide to return to the D-League to hone his skills into becoming an everyday NBA role player.

Good luck in the future, Ryan Kelly.