Saddiq Bey will enter unrestricted free agency after the Atlanta Hawks declined his $8.5 million qualifying offer, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Bey is set to miss the start of the 2024-25 season after undergoing March surgery on a torn ACL in his left knee.

He averaged 13.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists through 63 games last season prior to his injury.

The 25-year-old forward could still return to the Hawks on a cheaper contract next season, in which case Atlanta would keep his Bird rights, The Athletic's John Hollinger noted.

That would make it easier to the Hawks to re-sign Bey to a new contract next offseason if he is healthy and ready to start the 2025-26 campaign.

Bey's qualifying offer was originally set to be worth about $2.5 million, but he received the $2 million increase after officially being qualified as a "starter" with his 41st start of the season.

That difference may have priced him out of the Hawks' range.

Bey, drafted with the No. 19 pick of the 2020 draft by the Brooklyn Nets and immediately traded to the Detroit Pistons, finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2020-21.

He was traded to the Hawks in 2023 and has served as a key piece of their rotation since.

Bey made 51 starts during the 2023-24 season as he stepped into the rotation to fill in for injured players like Jalen Johnson and De'Andre Hunter, playing his primary position of small forward as well as power forward.

Although Bey's three-point shooting dipped to 31.6 percent last season, his defensive abilities and his flexibility switching between positions became an important part of Atlanta's frontcourt.

After selecting forward Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, however, the Hawks may have decided they have enough forward depth to let Bey walk.

Despite being slated to miss part of the 2024-25 campaign, Bey is still likely to attract interest from teams looking to add to their wing depth while pushing toward the playoffs down the stretch next season.