Trae Young sends 5-word message as Hawks react to Jalen Johnson's extension

Jalen Johnson’s five-year, $150 million contract extension is a good piece of business for the Atlanta Hawks. They likely saved money and stress by getting a deal done now, allowing both sides to focus on his continued ascension and keeping him on the floor. 

The deal was received well among his teammates, with some notables sending messages to their young teammate, Johnson.

Trae Young, who trained with Johnson in the offseason, was among them.

“The work always Pay$ off!” Young posted on X on October 21, sharing a picture of himself and Johnson during their summer sessions.

Hawks general manager Landry Fields also issued a statement on Johnson’s contract and future with the organization.

“Jalen Johnson embodies the characteristics we look for as an organization, both on and off the court,” Fields said via the team’s website on October 21. “He has shown continuous improvement each year and has the character and the work ethic to continue to grow his game. He has developed into a significant part of our team and we’re thrilled to continue his development in Atlanta.”

Hawks forward Larry Nance Jr. agrees Johnson has much more to show.

“Going to be a star.. just watch,” Nance posted on X, also sharing a post of Johnson’s reported new deal.

Nance has previously touted Johnson’s talent and what he expects to see from the former No. 20 overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft. His first glimpse of Johnson sparked an encouraging recap of Hawks training camp.

Larry Nance Jr. pushing Jalen Johnson

“Being in the West, I only got to play against JJ twice last year,” Hawks big man Larry Nance said, per NBA.com’s Kevin Chouinard on October 3. “You know, you never know what you don’t know. I just thought he was an athletic dude who could run like a deer. I didn’t know the skill level. And then seeing him up close and in person: He dominated practice today. He was amazing. He was knocking down threes in transition.”

Nance’s assessment of Johnson’s prowess in transition is not surprising, even if his efficiency is.

He shot 69% from the floor and 87.5% from downtown in the preseason and was lethal in transition in 2023-24.

“The 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward is particularly devastating in transition,” ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote on October 21. “His 66% shooting in transition ranked eighth best among players with 120 or more attempts, per Second Spectrum.”

Nance is trying to motivate Johnson to do even more.

“He’s been really, really impressive, and I’m trying to push him more into speaking some more and leading the group and breaking the huddle and things like that because he’s going to be a guy in this league and with that comes ‘heavy is the head that wears the crown,’” Nance said, per Chouinard.

“He is going to wear the crown one day, and he is being groomed for that.”