NBA insider sheds light on Hawks' vision for Jalen Johnson & Zaccharie Risacher

The Atlanta Hawks’ vision for Jalen Johnson and rookie No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher offers some telling insight into their plans for the former amid his looming contract situation. 

Barring an extension, Johnson, the No. 20 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, will be a restricted free agent after the 2024-25 season. The Hawks have until October 21 to get a deal done, but if there is any doubt they will eventually find common ground, it might be overblown.

Spotrac’s Keith Smith believes the Hawks’ track record speaks for itself.

Where that lands Johnson’s final number is still to be determined. But the amount will undoubtedly be substantial.

Insider expects Jalen Johnson, Hawks to agree on $125 million contract

“I just think the Hawks have proven year over year over year they're going to do what it takes to re-sign their guys,” Smith told The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie on the “Game Theory Podcast” on September 12. “They just almost always do.

“I know a lot of people said, ‘Are they gonna re-sign Johnson? They have Zaccharie Risacher.’ Well, everything I'm hearing is – and I’m curious if you have heard the same thing – they're like, ‘Hey, we're kind of viewing the 2, 3, and maybe even the 4 is all kind of interchangeable for us. We plan to play them all together.”

That is encouraging for the Hawks’ outlook in 2023-24, and it could be informative about their plans for the starting lineup, where De’Andre Hunter’s future remains unclear.

We already know how Johnson feels about playing alongside Young.

“When I think about Johnson, going into last season I was like, ‘He kind of seems like an undersized 4.’ That was kind of where I had slotted him a little bit after his first – really, … it was that second year he played in like 70 games or so, and he was pretty good in moments. But it was like, ‘He can finish around the rim. But his shooting's a little shaky, doesn't offer a whole lot with the ball in his hands. Then this year [2023-24] pre-injury – and he was not bad after the injury – but pre-injury I was blown away,” Smith said.

“All of those little things just seemed to click. And then you had the things that are just easier to see like finishing was still good, he shot it really well, and I thought his defense improved. I don't know that I'm ever going to be like, ‘Wow, Jaylen Johnson's defense.’ But he's passable, he's good enough. I think he'll be fine on that end.”

So where does that leave Johnson and the Hawks financially?

“When I wrote before, I wrote five [years] for $125 million,” Smith said. “And I had people the day that came out were like, ‘You're too low. He's going to get more than that when it actually comes down. Go back and actually watch a little bit more.” 

Vecenie said he thinks that would be a “fine deal,” noting that he expects Johnson to get a “big number” up to $150 million.

Vecenie also echoed Smith’s account about the Hawks’ plans.

Hawks planning for Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher to be dynamic duo

“What I was told was that they're envisioning either surrounding Trae or, maybe in the future if Trae is not on the team – and I'm not saying that they're looking to move him. I'm saying that like they're setting up their roster in a way where they really are valuing a lot of positional size. And they like the idea of playing Risacher with Jaylen Johnson moving forward,” Vecenie told Smith. 

“They see those two as being really good complements to one another where Jalen is this dynamic athlete out in transition who's a playmaker. And then Risacher is your really solid wing who can play really solid help defense, and can knock down shots from the perimeter, and, hopefully, has a little bit more in his bag offensively as he continues to grow, and mature, and his frame fills out.

“I think they're envisioning it totally as these guys can play together, not that they're duplicative of one another.”

That is exciting alone and for what it could mean for Young – who turned heads with a photo alongside Risacher and 2024 offseason trade acquisition Dyson Daniels at his From The Point Weekend – and the Hawks going forward.