This time of the year is so exciting for basketball fans. There has not been a game for a few weeks but we get to see the start of so many young careers thanks to the NBA draft. The Atlanta Hawks have made this happen for AJ Griffin.
The first-round pick put pen to paper, signing his rookie deal meaning he is one step closer to getting onto an NBA court for the first time. While I believe that he has a good chance at breaking into the Hawks rotations this season, there is still a long way to go before this actually happens.
The details of the deal are not disclosed as per Hawks policy, however, per Spotrac the deal is believed to be a normal value for a 16th pick, per Spotrac. This means that Griffin has a four-year deal worth approximately $17.1 million. His first year is believed to be worth $3.5 million.
The Atlanta Hawks will see AJ Griffin playing soon.
The Hawks have named Griffin on their summer league team which will see him start the next phase of his journey. The Hawks take on the Utah Jazz in their opening Summer League game on July 9, for full details on the Hawks Summer League squad, click here.
It is going to be interesting to see what Griffin is able to bring to the table for the Hawks. He has shown that in college he could fill a role for the team, helping Duke to the second seed in the NCAA. However, college hoops are not the same as the NBA.
However, the Hawks seem to have made the decision that he is going to get minutes. Trading Kevin Huerter will free up some minutes at the wing for Griffin to slot into, probably at the end of quarters.
However, it all starts when the player and team put pen to paper. That step is now complete and the next stage is going to be exciting to watch.