The Atlanta Hawks just made a big-time commitment to their presumptive point guard of the future.
According to a report by Zach Lowe and Marc Stein of ESPN on Wednesday, Hawks point guard Dennis Schröder has agreed to a four-year, $70 million contract extension with the team.
ESPN sources tell @ZachLowe_NBA and I that Hawks guard Dennis Schroder has landed a four-year, $70 million extension today
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) October 26, 2016
Schröder, 23, averaged 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game for Atlanta last season coming off the bench behind Jeff Teague. But those numbers are almost certain to improve by leaps and bounds now that Schröder is the team’s unquestioned starting floor general after Teague was traded to the Indiana Pacers in June.
Schröder’s new deal is comparable in terms of average annual value amongst point guards to those of Goran Dragic (in Year 2 of a five-year, $85 million contract) and Reggie Jackson (Year 2 of a five-year, $80 million contract).
Opportunity knocks for Schröder in 2016-17, but it still remains to be seen how he’ll be able to make the transition to a full-time starter. Nevertheless, Atlanta was apparently unwilling to let Schröder become a restricted free agent come the summer, hammering out an extension just days before the October 31 deadline. That signals an immense vote of confidence in the German’s abilities as the Hawks move forward with their current core.
Image Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
