The Hawks announced Sunday that they picked up the contract options on two of their young players. The team exercised the fourth-year option of forward Jalen Johnson and the third-year option on guard AJ Griffin.
The team had until the end of the month to decide whether it would exercise the two options. It did not disclose the terms of the agreements, but the contracts would be in line with the NBA’s rookie scale based on where the team selected the players’ respective drafts.
The Hawks selected Johnson 20th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft and the 21-year-old has suited up for the team in 92 career games, including six starts.
He averaged 5.6 points, four rebounds and 1.2 assists in 15 minutes last season and the team expects him to have a larger role in its rotation this year. He scored a career-high 16 points in the Hawks’ win over the Bulls last season, tying it in the team’s win over the Wizards one day later.
The former Duke Blue Devil, along with forward Saddiq Bey are among the two players expected to take over as the Hawks starting power forward following the team’s trade of John Collins in July.
Griffin, who returns for his sophomore season after a strong rookie campaign, was taken 16th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. He played 72 games for the Hawks, which includes 12 starts, and finished the season with notching 8.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and one assist in 20 minutes. His rookie season includes highlights of two buzzer-beating, game-winning shots on Nov. 19 versus the Raptors and Dec. 11 against the Bulls.
He earned a 2023 Jordan Rising Star nod and became the third-youngest player in NBA history to bury 100 3-pointers, behind Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant (19 years, 176 days) and former Hawks wing Kevin Knox (19 years, 218 days).
Johnson and Griffin were among the players the Hawks needed to make a decision on this month. The Hawks have until Monday to reach an agreement on fourth-year players Onyeka Okongwu and Saddiq Bey. If they don’t sign by the deadline, they will become restricted free agents next summer.
The Hawks open the regular season on Wednesday against the Hornets.
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