Gruber was cut by the Hawks on Wednesday to make room for re-signed guard Rhys Martin.

The Hawks' Facebook page was inundated with comments, most of which criticised the decision to axe fan favourite Gruber.

Welch said he wasn't surprised by the reaction and expected the NBL's last foundation club to pull through the intense backlash.

"We'll stay united," he said.

"It's an emotional decision and there's going to be emotional reactions to start with.

"There was a lot of consultation with the coaching group in regards to what's the best fit for our on-court system right now, and we felt we needed to make a change to stay competitive with the best teams in the league."

The 33-year-old Gruber is still coming to terms with his axing and hasn't given much thought to his future.

"We'll meet all our financial obligations for David, and beyond," Welch said.

"We've offered him a role at the club in the front office which is open [and] ongoing.

"If he wants to take that this season or next season, it's always there.

"We'll also do anything to support Dave if he wants to pursue basketball. We'll let him stay fit with the team.

"The support is there for Dave and it was just a very tough on-court decision."

Martin had his first training session on Thursday and is expected to play in Friday night's home game against titleholders Perth.

The last-placed Hawks have lost five of six games,

"Part of that long decision-making process was that Rhys knows the system and knows the on-court ways that [coach] Gordie [McLeod] operates," Welch said.

"We wouldn't have made such a tough decision if we didn't think the on-court effect would be there. I'm confident this will help the guys compete and get those wins.

The Hawks are on the road against Melbourne on Sunday.