Atlanta Hawks sign former fourth overall pick De'Andre Hunter to four-year, $95m extension

New York, October 18: The Atlanta Hawks announced they have signed wing De’Andre Hunter to a four-year, $95million contract prior to Monday’s deadline for teams and players to reach rookie-scale extensions.

ESPN reported terms of the new deal, which will begin next season and run through the 2026-27 campaign.

The fourth overall pick of the 2019 draft after the Hawks traded up to select him, Hunter has averaged 13.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game through his first three NBA seasons and shot a career-best 37.9 per cent from 3-point range in 2021-22.

The 24-year-old is also valued for his defensive ability and versatility as the player often assigned to guard opponents top scoring threats.

Hunter is coming off a 2021-22 season where he averaged 13.4 points in 53 games and starred in Atlanta’s first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat. He averaged 21.2 points for the series and recorded a career-high 35 points and 11 rebounds in the Hawks’ Game 5 loss.

The University of Virginia product becomes the latest core player that Atlanta have locked up on a long-term deal. All-Star guard Trae Young and forward John Collins agreed to five-year extensions last offseason, while center Clint Capela is under contract through 2024-25 after signing a two-year extension in September 2021.

Atlanta, who finished 43-37 last season and earned the Eastern Conference’s eight seed through the play-in tournament, also acquired standout guard Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs in July. The 2021-22 All-Star is signed for two more seasons.