The Hawks had a couple of players set to hit restricted free agency at the end of the upcoming season. The deadline to reach an extension with those players was today. Landry Fields and Kyle Korver were able to get one deal done, extending Onyeka Okongwu to a very team-friendly four-year, $62 million contract. That’s a bargain for a player that looks to be the Hawks center of the future.
However, Fields and Korver were not able to reach an extension with Saddiq Bey, who will test free agency next offseason.
The Hawks acquired Bey at the trade deadline last season, sending away five second-round picks, so one would assume they would like to hang onto him past this season, especially after the way he performed after the trade.
With the Hawks, Bey averaged 11.8 points off the bench on an ultra-efficient 47% from the field and 40% from behind the arc. He also snagged 4.8 boards along with 1.4 assists.
Bey staying with the Hawks could still very well be in the cards. The Hawks will have a chance to match any offer sheet he signs with another team next offseason. However, Atlanta doesn’t have much room to maneuver under the salary cap and will likely have to shed more salary next offseason. Given the kind of money Bey was likely looking for, extending him right now was always going to be a difficult proposition. Now, he’ll have the opportunity to earn a massive contract with a productive season in his first full year with the Hawks.
More must-reads: