The Atlanta Hawks have been busy during this offseason, although their moves may not have been particularly exciting.
Their most notable decision was trading John Collins, a key player in their core. However, as the regular season approaches, they’ve now made contract determinations for two of their players.
On October 22, the team officially announced, “The Atlanta Hawks have exercised the fourth-year (2024-25) contract option on forward Jalen Johnson and the third-year (2024-25) option on guard AJ Griffin.” The specifics of these agreements were not disclosed, following the team’s policy.
These decisions needed to be made by October 31, which coincides with the deadline for teams to finalize their rosters with a maximum of 15 players. Both Griffin and Johnson are recent first-round draft picks, and they are expected to have significant roles in the upcoming season, which will be their first full campaign under head coach Quin Snyder.
Jalen Johnson, the 20th overall pick in the 2021 draft, showed promise by averaging 5.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists last season. He seemed poised for significant improvement in his third year, as demonstrated in the preseason. Johnson was vying for the starting power forward position left vacant by John Collins, but it appears that Saddiq Bey, acquired during the 2022-23 trade deadline, will have the initial opportunity when the regular season commences.
AJ Griffin, selected as the 18th overall pick in the 2022 draft, is a sharpshooting swingman known for his NBA-ready jump shot. He averaged 8.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists with a 39% three-point shooting rate. Despite hitting a rookie wall in his efficiency, Griffin played a significant role during the regular season. However, he was left out of the Hawks’ postseason rotations entirely, not seeing any playing time in their six playoff games. Despite this setback, his skill set remains apparent, and his defensive abilities make him a target of trade speculation for other teams.
With these contract decisions now settled, the Hawks can shift their focus to other pending matters.
The Hawks are also facing a deadline with Onyeka Okongwu and Saddiq Bey. Okongwu, the sixth overall pick in the 2020 draft, has until 6 pm ET on October 23 to reach an agreement with the team.
He has been behind Clint Capela in the starting center position but did get a start at power forward during the preseason. Trade rumors involving Capela had emerged due to this logjam, with potential interest from the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets. However, it was expected that the Hawks would let Okongwu enter restricted free agency.
Similar uncertainties surround the negotiations with Saddiq Bey, making these upcoming decisions critical for the Hawks as they manage their roster and contracts.
Leave a Reply