De'Andre Hunter Agrees to Contract Extension with Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks and De'Andre Hunter agreed on a rookie-scale contract extension.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA deadline for rookie-scale contract extensions was Monday at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. It took over two hours, but we learned the Atlanta Hawks and De'Andre Hunter agreed to a four-year, $95 million extension.

The Hawks locked up their 2019 first-round draft pick without having to compete with other teams during restricted free agency next summer. Meanwhile, Hunter gets a long-term deal without any of the headaches of a contract season.

Hunter will make $9 million this season as part of the final year of his rookie contract. Starting in the 2023-24 season, Hunter will receive $23.7 million per year through the 2026-27 season. That will make Hunter the third-highest player on the Hawks roster, behind Trae Young and John Collins.

De'Andre Hunter regularly picks up the toughest defensive assignment / © Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Hawks organization did not spare any expenses with this contract. However, there is a projected 8.4% salary cap spike for the 2023-24 season. Nevertheless, team president Travis Schlenk and general manager Landry Fields placed a big bet on Hunter.

Last season, Hunter averaged 13.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. More importantly, he has been the team's best perimeter defender over the past two years. Unfortunately, Hunter has been plagued by injuries and inconsistent play. 

Upon arriving in Atlanta in 2019, fans dubbed Hunter 'Baby Kawhi' due to his size and play style. Hopefully, the fans' expectations and the organization's wager pay off.

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