NBA rumors: Jalen Johnson trending toward Hawks contract worth over $30 million annually
Yesterday at 02:02 PM
The Atlanta Hawks currently have several trade candidates on their roster in advance of the 2024-25 season, with two of the only players definitely safe from such talks being Trae Young and Jalen Johnson. Young had an up and down preseason for the squad with some turnover difficulties but Johnson impressed during a recent game vs the Miami Heat, showing every bit of the arsenal that has Hawks fans excited.
Johnson is currently entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract and time is running out before Monday’s deadline for the team to reach an extension with him, or risk letting him hit restricted free agency at the season’s conclusion.
Now, fans are getting a clearer picture of what a potential extension might look like for the talented power forward.
There is “far more optimism around the NBA that the Hawks will find an agreement north of $30 million in average annual salary for Johnson. That is the beginning of the ballpark this Duke product's representation at Klutch Sports is said to be searching for,” per The People’s Insider Show on Threads.
What is Jalen Johnson’s ceiling?
On paper, Jalen Johnson checks just about every box that NBA teams are looking for in their ideal player to build around for the future.
Johnson stands 6’8″ and is a freak athlete, making him a terror for opposing teams to try to defend in transition. Last year, in his first year starting for the Hawks, Johnson showed some impressive playmaking and passing instincts, in addition to an improved outside jumper that forced teams to guard him away from the basket.
Add all of that to the fact that Johnson is a capable ball handler who can ignite fast breaks by himself without having to find his point guard, and the Hawks figure to have one of the most dynamic young players in the NBA at the age of 22, even if his stats may not pop off of the page quite yet.
As far as current players in the NBA who fit Johnson’s archetype, Aaron Gordon of the Denver Nuggets comes to mind, although Johnson’s mobility and playmaking instincts give him a definitively higher ceiling than the 2023 NBA champion.
In any case, the Hawks are set to open up their 2024-25 NBA season at home vs the Brooklyn Nets on October 23. That game is slated to tip off at 7:30 PM ET from State Farm Arena.
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