Hawks, Jalen Johnson agree to 5-year, $150M extension

Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson has agreed to a five-year, $150 million rookie contract extension with the franchise, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and representative Lucas Newton told ESPN on Monday.

The 20th pick in the 2021 NBA draft out of Duke, Johnson exploded into a productive NBA player in his third season, averaging 16 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 3-pointers for the Hawks.

He’s one of just six players in NBA history to average at least 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 3-pointer per game in a season before turning 23.

“Jalen Johnson embodies the characteristics we look for as an organization, both on and off the court,” Hawks general manager Landry Fields said in a statement.

“He has shown continuous improvement each year and has the character and the work ethic to continue to grow his game. He has developed into a significant part of our team and we’re thrilled to continue his development in Atlanta.”

Johnson improved significantly from his first two seasons, when he averaged 5.5 and 14.9 minutes per game, respectively. His jump from 5.6 points in 2022-23 to 16 points last season was the second-largest increase among players to play at least 50 games, trailing only Nets guard Cam Thomas.

Johnson improved significantly from his first two seasons, when he averaged 5.5 and 14.9 minutes per game, respectively. His jump from 5.6 points in 2022-23 to 16 points last season was the second-largest increase among players to play at least 50 games, trailing only Nets guard Cam Thomas.

The 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward is particularly devastating in transition; his 66% shooting in transition ranked eighth best among players with 120 or more attempts, per Second Spectrum.

We’re a little over a week into the 2024-25 NBA season and a lot has happened since the preseason.

The Boston Celtics are already looking like the front-runners in the East after a dominant performance against the New York Knicks on opening night that was highlighted by raising their 18th championship banner and a barrage of league-tying 3-pointers.

In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder have started out hot, led by MVP contender Shai Gilgeous-Alexander while the 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets are already falling short of expectations behind reigning MVP Nikola Jokic.