Jalen Johnson has solidified his future with the Atlanta Hawks, signing a five-year, $150 million contract extension just a day before the team’s season opener.
The Hawks reportedly submitted the extension offer right before the 6 p.m. rookie contract extension deadline, with ESPN’s Bobby Marks noting it was delivered at 5:59 p.m.
“Jalen Johnson’s contract, I was told, was sent into the league office at 5:59 p.m., at the buzzer, to get in there,” Marks said on the Hoop Collective.
The timing wasn’t entirely unexpected, as ESPN’s Shams Charania announced the deal right around the deadline. Luckily, the Hawks met the cut-off, allowing them to avoid waiting until season’s end to finalize the extension.
Before the Hawks’ matchup with the Brooklyn Nets, head coach Quin Snyder reflected on Johnson’s recent praise for him, expressing how much it meant personally.
“It’s everything. It makes me emotional because it’s something that’s important to me, and when you have guys trust you and believe in them, but they believe in you too, and that’s not telling them the easy things, and he’s been so coachable,” Snyder shared.
Snyder went on to say, “More often than not, I’m challenging him to do something, or encouraging him, or complimenting him, and there’s no question I do believe in him.
The fact that I know he’s going to work, I think the contract is great. It’s representative not only of what he’s done but what he’s capable of doing.”
