2024 NBA Free Agency: Grading the Vít Krejčí Signing For The Atlanta Hawks

Did the Hawks find hidden value in a four-year contract for Krejci?

Apr 14, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Vit Krejci (27) passes the ball while Atlanta Hawks guard Garrison Mathews (25) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

When the Hawks signed the 24 year-old Krejci on a two-way deal, they certainly did not expect him to make the impact that he did in the 2023-24 season.

Today, they recognized that impact by securing him on a long-term extension. Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Hawks signed Krejci to a four-year, $10 million dollar deal.

Free agent guard Vit Krejci has agreed on a four-year, $10 million deal to return to the Atlanta Hawks, his agents Alex Saratsis and Phillip Parun of @octagonBsktball tell ESPN. At 24, Krejci has been a player development success story for Quin Snyder, Landry Fields and Hawks. pic.twitter.com/xGm90reFTQ

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 10, 2024

In the 22 games he played for Atlanta, Krejci averaged 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Those numbers hardly jump off the page, but he achieved those numbers on an efficient 63% from the field and 41% from beyond the arc on three attempts a night. The Hawks might have unearthed a bench shooter with size in Krejci, making his new four-year, $7 million dollar contract a bargain.

While he is not a lockdown defender, he has the size and agility to bother wings. For example, he took on the Tatum assignment in both of their wins over the Celtics and did relatively well. It is not hard to envision Krejci taking offensive and defensive strides with more minutes and earning a spot in what looks to be a crowded forward rotation for the Hawks. With Saddiq Bey still unsigned in free agency and AJ Griffin traded to the Houston Rockets after a rough sophomore season, Krejci could become the team's eighth or ninth man next year. At $2.5 million a year, it's well worth it for general manager Landry Fields to find out exactly what Krejci can become.

Two-way players rarely turn into impact players, but keeping players who outplay those deals is good business. The Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder are good examples of finding rotation pieces for playoff teams on two-way contracts. It remains to be seen whether Krejci can have an impact comparable to Lu Dort, Max Strus or Caleb Martin. However, with limited draft capital, the Hawks need to capitalize on smaller successes to pave the way for future success.

I think this contract was a no-brainer for the Hawks. It gives them a cheap wing player with some upside to become a part of the rotation or a piece to use in a future trade. Krejci was one of the best parts of last season for Atlanta and it will be interesting to see if he gets a bigger workload next season.

Final Grade: A