What path should the Atlanta Hawks take with Jalen Johnson?

The Atlanta Hawks face another offseason with more questions than answers. Over the past two offseasons, they made salary-dropping trades by moving Kevin Huerter to 2022 and John Collins to 2023.

This watering down of talent was then exacerbated by the injury issues the Hawks suffered last season, meaning the Hawks struggled to qualify for the play-ins. Even Jalen Johnson, one of last season’s shining lights, only played in 56 games out of a possible total. 82 thanks to injury. This is the only factor that cost him the chance to get the most improved prize.

Johnson just completed his third season with the Hawks. That means the Hawks have one season left on his rookie contract, should they choose to exercise it and there’s no chance they won’t. To put it simply, Johnson developed his talent last season and is a potential future star in the league.

Simply put, the Hawks need Johnson on their roster to be a successful franchise. There is no doubt that the Hawks need to pick their team as soon as possible. He has a cheap contract and will contribute at a high level to the starting lineup.

With that question answered, the next decision the Hawks must make is whether to offer Johnson an extension. Well, it’s not really a difficult decision. He should certainly be offered a contract extension. The real question is: how much should this beginner expansion be worth? This question is a little more complicated than it seems at first glance.

There is no doubt that Johnson is a top talent. He can rebound, pass, score, protect the rim and be a good team player. However, he only did so at a high level for one season. This season was also cut short by injury, with Johnson playing only 56 of 82 games. He hasn’t done enough yet to warrant a max rookie contract, but he’s expected to make between $15 million and $25 million per season.

This has the potential to put the Hawks in a great position. Having defied all predictions and won the repechage, they seek to select Alexandre Sarr among other candidates. This could have the impact of the Clint Capela trade, which has been considered for some time. His $20 million a year would be better spent on Johnson.

So which path should the Hawks take with Johnson? Like when they drafted him, they need to make a long-term decision on his contract. It’s certainly a talent. But he must stay healthy and continue to develop. He is a potential star in this league and could be the answer the Hawks are looking for to move the team forward.