The Atlanta Hawks initially acquired point forward Vit Krejci from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a trade in 2022. He was waived, signed by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and waived again, only to end up back with the Hawks all in 2023.
Krejci, 24, admits it is bittersweet seeing the Thunder so close to winning the franchise’s first-ever NBA title and says he saw the vision during his tenure in OKC.
However, Krejci also envisions big things in the pipeline for the Hawks.
“I also believe that we can fight for nice positions in the next seasons with Atlanta,” the versatile 6-foot-8 young veteran, Krejci, told FlashScore’s Tomáš Rambousek in comments published on June 17.
The Hawks were in play for the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference standings late into the 2024-25 season, and that was amid injuries and roster changes.
Krejci missed 25 games due to injury, including a fractured back.
Still, his 57 appearances last season were a career-high, as were his 7.2 points and 2.6 assists per game and his 43.7% clip from beyond the arc. No other Hawks players shot better and made more appearances last season.
Hawks’ Vit Krejci looking to bounce back defensively
Krejci was hardly satisfied, let alone impressed with his efforts, noting it earned him trust from his teammates and that it was about finding a “rhythm” with his offensive aggression. It also cost him in other facets of his game.
“That’s what the guys on the team want me to do. But maybe I felt like I got a little worse defensively,” Krejci told Rambousek.
“The more I do on offence, there tends to be less energy towards the back. I wouldn’t say it was somehow completely bad, but it certainly wasn’t as good as last year. But again, I’m working on my fitness now and I put on seven or eight kilos (15-17 pounds) in that first part of the preparation.”
Krejci is entering Year 2 of a four-year, $10.2 million pact.
There is a club option for the final season in 2027-28, but Krejci knows a lot can happen before that comes into play.
He is planning to play and be a central figure for the Czech Republic during EuroBasket 2025, which runs from August 27 through September 14. It is an honor for players to represent their country.
For the Hawks, it has been a double-edged sword.
Dyson Daniels parlayed his experience during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics with Team Australia into Most Improved Player and All-Defensive First Team honors last season.
However, longtime fan-favorite Bogan Bogdanovic was having an NBA career-worst season after his bronze medal-winning effort with Serbia. He admitted that he was not healthy following that run, but that was after the Hawks traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Hawks are surely hoping Krejci emulates Daniels and not Bogdanovic.