One of the most valuable role players is now on the NBA market. After trimming down their roster to the league maximum of fifteen players, the Atlanta Hawks waived veteran guard Jarrett Jack on Thursday, according to a report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Chris Vivlamore.

Let go by Brooklyn prior to free-agency, Atlanta scooped up the veteran for a one-year-deal worth the veterans minimum to mentor and play behind Dennis Schroder. Instead of waiting for Jarrett Jack to heal, Atlanta has decided to go with Will Bynum and Josh Maggette as backups for the start of the season. Jack was off to a hot start with the Nets before his 2015-16 season was cut short due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament and small medial meniscus tear in his right knee. At age 32–with talent and veteran leadership to be utilized–every team should check their roster to see if they could make room for Jack, regardless of his injury.

Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer assured the media the other day that Jack wouldn’t be ready for the first tip-off of the 2016-17 season. He’s yet to participate in the contact portion of practice or in scrimmages. With that being said, you can’t blame Atlanta for waiving him. But. When healthy, Jack could be a force off the bench.

Hours after the move, a frustrated Jack took to Twitter to let out his thoughts.

So… the Cleveland Cavaliers–an Atlanta Hawks playoff rival of recent memory–are hiring, in search of a backup point guard with experience. Cleveland has announced No. 58 overall pick Kay Felder will receive the backup job behind Kyrie Irving, but are open to a better replacement. Cleveland likes Felder, and if they sign Jack, why not try out Felder as the everyday backup until the 32-year-old veteran returns from injury. Jack is a guard who will fit in the system quite well; he could up the pace, score the rock, and possibly become a productive one-two, pick-and-pop punch with Channing Frye. Jack is no stranger to the Cleveland crowd either; he played 80 games for the team in 2013-14, averaging 9.5 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 28.3 minutes per game.

During Jack’s stint with Cleveland in 2013-14, then head coach Mike Brown had high praise for his point guard who took over starting duties for the–at the time–injured Kyrie Irving. “Jarrett [Jack] has a comfort level of telling guys what to do, where to go, when to do it and he knows how to really spread it around,” Brown said.

“We want to look to attack first, if we can’t attack we want to flow right into our offense and move the defense. I thought Jarrett’s vocal leadership, offensively especially, in our last game was really good.”

 

Jarrett Jack is a 12-year-veteran who knows how the league works; he’s jumped around from eight teams in his career (including Atlanta), and is currently looking for his ninth. Though he’s aging and his body isn’t what it used to be, Jack deserves a shot at another key role on a contending team.

The reigning champions may be that team.