What Is The Fair Market Price For Jalen Johnson's Extension?

If he had not had any injuries last season, there was a good chance that Hawks forward Jalen Johnson was going to win the NBA's Most Improved Player Award. The leap that he had taken in terms of scoring and production was huge and he became the Hawks 2nd best player last season and is one of the best young forwards in the NBA. The Hawks are going to be counting on Johnson to take another leap this season and be a playmakers next to Trae Young.

Not only is Johnson one of the best young players in the NBA, but he is also up for his rookie-scale contract extension. Johnson has until Oct. 21st to sign his extension and it seems like a no-brainer for the Hawks to do this deal. What will the deal look like? Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus gave his thoughts on the potential contract.

Current salary: $4.5 million
2025 cap hold: $13.5 million
Realistic floor: $27.5 million
Realistic ceiling: $32.5 million
Best comp: Vassell/McDaniels to Bane
Market value: $30 million

"While Johnson and the Hawks haven't done much winning in recent years, he's emerged as a young piece to build around. Competing executives are intrigued but expect him to stay with the Hawks on a lucrative new deal.

Even though very few teams have spending power in 2025, Johnson is likely to lock in a healthy deal in Atlanta before the season."

This from ESPN's Bobby Marks shows how much Johnson improved from his previous season and showed why he is in for a nice extension:

"The Hawks have up until Oct. 21 to extend Johnson. The forward averaged career highs in points (16.1) and 3-point percentage (35.3%). Overall, Johnson has increased his scoring average from 5.6 last season to 16.1 this season. That is the second-largest increase among players to play at least 50 games in both seasons, trailing Cam Thomas. Johnson ranked in the bottom-10 in field goal percentage on all jumpers last season but saw an increase this year, going from 29% to 39%. Since Fields joined the front office in October 2020, Atlanta has signed a player to a rookie extension in each of the past three offseasons (Young, Kevin Huerter, De'Andre Hunter and Okongwu)"

I think there are two players who got extensions last offseason that are nice comparisons for Johnson in terms of what his extension might look like.

Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels earned a five-year $131 million dollar extension last offseason and Spurs guard Devin Vassell earned a five-year, $135 million dollar extension. Those two players I think are going to be the starting point for where Johnson's will be. He is a better player with a higher ceiling I believe and he plays a position of great value.

If I had to guess, I think Johnson will get more than either of those players, but not receive a full max like LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, and Anthony Edwards did. Johnson might even be closer to the five-year, $197 million dollar extension that Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane received.