76ers Rival Hawks Extend Key Player Before Playoffs

The Atlanta Hawks are locking in one of their key players over the last few seasons. On Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Hawks have agreed to an extension with their key reserve, Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Per Wojnarowski’s report, Bogdanovic is returning to Atlanta next season on a four-year deal. The contract is reportedly worth $68 million.

Although Bogdanovic has an option attached to his contract for the 2023-2024 season, the veteran forward will decline it and start playing on his new deal as early as next season.

Over the last couple of months, it was becoming clear that Bogdanovic intended to decline his player option. However, all signs were pointing towards the sharpshooting testing the free agency market.

With the Hawks making some key changes around the organization, it seems Bogdanovic is sold on the future of the team. Therefore, he’s locked in for four more years beyond this season.

While Bogdanovic isn’t considered a star player for the Hawks, he’s certainly a key role player that will keep Atlanta competitive against Eastern Conference playoff contenders such as the Philadelphia 76ers.

This year, Bogdanovic appeared in 43 games for the Hawks. He’s currently averaging 14 points, three rebounds, and three assists while shooting 44 percent from the field and 40 percent from three, numbers that are consistent with his first two years in a Hawks uniform.

While Atlanta has been inconsistent as a whole since their Eastern Conference title run two years ago, the Hawks are hopeful that some of their recent staff changes can help them make a late-season push for the playoffs.

Currently, they are 34-35, sitting in the eighth seed. While the Play-In tournament will likely be where they end up before the postseason, the Hawks have proven that they can win themselves a spot in the playoffs as one of the bottom two seeds.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.