Atlanta Hawks make key decision on free agent signing Bruno Fernando

The Atlanta Hawks entering the season with four centers on their roster — Clint Capela, Cody Zeller, Onyeka Okongwu and Bruno Fernando — was always highly unlikely. Today, they decided to free up space on their roster by letting Fernando go.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Hawks are waiving Fernando.

After being selected by the 76ers with the 34th pick of the 2019 draft, Fernando was immediately traded to Atlanta. He split time between the Hawks’ rotation and College Park as a rookie, receiving minutes as a bench center. Fernando was then traded to the Boston Celtics before being sent to the Houston Rockets after the Celtics acquired Daniel Theis. Fernando returned to Atlanta in a deal with the Houston Rockets that sent Justin Holiday, Frank Kaminsky, and two second-round picks to Houston in exchange for Fernando and wing Garrison Mathews.

The Hawks got the best of that deal, as both Mathews and Fernando played valuable roles for Atlanta last season. Fernando, in particular, was one of the league’s most effective third centers and showed development in 2023-24, posting 6.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and one assist in 15.2 minutes per game. He functioned well in the paint, making 60 percent of his shots from inside the arc.

I thought Fernando played well on offense and knew his responsibilities. He’s pretty strong for a small center (6’9) and consistently sets good screens to create space for shooters. He stepped into the backup center role against the Bulls and did what he could to keep the Hawks afloat in Capela’s absence.

His best game of the season came against the Charlotte Hornets in the regular season, where he had 25 points and 6 rebounds in the Hawks’ win. He was consistently matched up against either Grant Williams or Tre Mann and took advantage of the mismatch. He also showed off some nice footwork against Nick Richards throughout the game – Charlotte just didn’t have anyone to reliably cover him with. While he’s definitely not a three-point shooter, his touch around the basket and footwork are reliably consistent parts of his game.

It’s likely that Fernando will find a new team in dire need of center depth. Unfortunately, the Hawks aren’t that team. With this extra roster spot, they have the opportunity to make a trade or sign a veteran addition that will have a bigger impact on the 2024-25 team.

We wish Bruno only the very best!