De’Andre Hunter Signs $95 Million Extension with Atlanta Hawks

De’Andre Hunter has come to terms on a four-year contract extension with the Atlanta Hawks.

Following his impressive performance during the 2022 NBA Playoffs, third-year forward De’Andre Hunter has earned a four-year, $95 million contract extension with the Atlanta Hawks. The deal will kick in during the 2023-24 season, which essentially takes Hunter’s name away from the list of restricted free agents in the summer of 2023.

Hunter, who will turn 25 years of age this December, is a defensive-minded combo wing who is also steadily improving on the offensive end of the floor. His primary role in this Hawks team is to be a defensive stopper, but he showed during the playoffs that he can also score if he wants to. The 6-foot-8 small forward upped the ante in the Hawks’ first-round matchup against the Miami Heat, averaging 21.2 points and norming an excellent 55.7% clip from the field, including a stellar 46.2% from beyond the arc.

His buckets did not just come from spot-ups or cuts. De’Andre Hunter also displayed his scoring repertoire off the dribble, an asset that could help him take a bigger offensive workload this upcoming 2022-23 season. Of course, All-Stars Trae Young and Dejounte Murray will have the lion’s share of the shot attempts, but it doesn’t hurt to have another shot-creator who could attract the attention of the opposing teams’ defense.

With the Murray acquisition, there’s no question that the Hawks want to win it all this season. They notched an Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2021 but failed to make it past the first round of the 2022 playoffs. Hunter will be a vital cog in the Hawks’ plans, working with Young, Murray, John Collins, and Clint Capela.