When the Hawks signed the 24-year-old Krejci to a two-way contract, they didn't expect him to make the kind of impact he did in 2023-24.
Today, they recognized that impact and locked him up on a long-term deal. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Hawks signed Krejci to a four-year, $10 million contract.
Free agent guard Vit Krejci has agreed to a four-year, $10 million contract to return to the Atlanta Hawks. Agents Alex Thalasis and Filip Parun said: Follow “The 24-year-old Krejci has been a player development success story for Quin Snyder, Landry Fields and the Hawks,” he told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/xGm90reFTQ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 10, 2024
Krejc averaged 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 22 games with Atlanta. Those numbers aren't spectacular, but he did it on 63% field goal shooting and 41% 3-point shooting from three attempts per game. The Hawks may have discovered a good-sized bench shooter in Krejc, which is why his new four-year, $7 million contract is a bargain.
While he's not a defensive player, he has the size and agility to trouble wings. For example, he filled in for Tatum in the two-game win over the Celtics and did relatively well. It's easy to see Krejci getting more playing time, improving offensively and defensively, and earning a spot in the Hawks' crowded forward rotation. With Saddiq Bey yet to sign in free agency and AJ Griffin traded to the Houston Rockets after a struggling second season, Krejci could be the team's eighth or ninth man next year. It's well worth it for general manager Landry Fields to see what kind of player Krejci can be, with a salary of $2.5 million per year.
Two-way players rarely become impact players, but it's good business to keep players who outperform their contracts. The Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder are good examples of teams finding rotation pieces for playoff teams on two-way contracts. It remains to be seen whether Krejci can have the same impact as Lou Dort, Max Strus and Caleb Martin. But with limited draft capital, the Hawks need to capitalize on small successes to pave the way for future success.
I think this deal was a no-brainer for the Hawks, as they would get a cheap wing who could be part of the rotation or be used in a future trade. Krejci was one of Atlanta's best players last season and it will be interesting to see if he gets more of a workload next season.
Final rating: A
