Atlanta Hawks forward deandre hunter His agent Thad Hoocher and Wasserman’s Joe Smith told ESPN on Monday night.
Agreed before the 6 p.m. deadline for the Rookie’s scale extension, the deal will allow Hunter to avoid restricted free agency next summer.
The 24-year-old Hunter averaged 13.4 points in 53 games for Atlanta last season.Hunter’s skill set fits ideally into Atlanta’s blueprint for future, joins All-Stars Trae Young and move forward John Collins A long-term contract as the cornerstone of the franchise.
Hunter and newly acquired combination Dejounte Murray On the wing, giving coach Nate McMillan the defense and athleticism that will pair him with Young on the perimeter, the Hawks hope to bolster the defense ranked No. 26 from a year ago.
The 4th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Hunter became the 11th player in the draft class to sign a contract extension this offseason. Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, RJ Barrett, Darius Garland, Tyler Hero, Brandon Clark, Nasir Little, jordan pool, Keldon Johnson When Kevin Porter Jr..
Extending Hunter means the Hawks will have Young, Hunter, Collins, and four of the original five members. clint capella — Signed for at least the next three seasons, Murray signed for the next two seasons.
The Hawks traded up for Hunter in the draft, signing a deal with the Pelicans to take the former University of Virginia star up from the eighth pick to the fourth selection.
Hunter averaged 21.2 points in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoff Series against the Miami Heat, shooting 56% from the field and shooting 46% from 3-point range. He scored 35 points in Game 5, making him the third Hawks player to score 35 points and 10 rebounds in his playoff games in the last 50 years, according to an ESPN Stats and Information study. became.
Hunter was also Jimmy Butler’s primary defender in Miami, defending 24 shooting attempts, according to ESPN tracking.
During the regular season, Hunter made 761 defensive appearances against the 2022 NBA All-Stars, according to ESPN Stats and Information research. In the 2022 All-Stars, he recorded a 45.7% effective field his goal percentage when playing against Hunter. It ranked top 10 among 57 players to record over 500 matchups.
Cam Johnson of Phoenix, Washington Rui HachimuraPJ Washington in Charlotte and Boston in Grant Williams I was among those who failed to get an extension by the deadline and are set to hit restricted free agency next offseason.
ESPN NBA reporter Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.
