Jalen Johnson made the 2026 All-NBA Third Team, but his flat $30 million Hawks extension means no raise. Here's how Atlanta's early deal saved millions.
Jalen Johnson made his first All-NBA team this past week, a leap that for most players triggers a far more expensive next contract. The Atlanta Hawks took that possibility off the table a year and a half ago.
On October 21, 2024, Atlanta signed Johnson to a five-year, $150 million extension at rookie scale. The fully guaranteed contract pays him $30 million annually through 2029-30 and became effective last season, the year he made the All-NBA team. He was 22 at signing and had no All-Star or All-NBA honors prior to this.
Johnson averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists this season, shooting 48.9% from the field and 35.2% from three. He played enough games to meet the league's 65-game eligibility requirement for awards. A 100-member media panel named him to the Third Team, alongside Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Duren.
Being selected usually increases a player's market value. Under the collective bargaining agreement, earning All-NBA honors is necessary to qualify for the two highest-tier contracts: the Rose rule and the supermax. A player exiting his rookie contract who makes one of these teams can begin his next deal at 30% of the salary cap instead of the usual 25%, with a qualifying veteran eventually reaching up to 35%. Qualification is based on making All-NBA in the most recent season or in two of the past three seasons, winning Defensive Player of the Year under the same conditions, or earning MVP in any of the last three years.
Duren's scenario is quite typical: he missed signing an extension, making him a restricted free agent with access to 30% of the cap. With an anticipated cap of $165 million for 2026-27, his top earnings could be around $49.5 million, and only Detroit can offer this over five years. If Johnson also becomes a free agent, the Hawks would likely see similar figures.
None of that applies to Johnson, because his contract was locked in without the 35% eligibility. The deal is already in effect, so there is no new starting salary for the selection to raise. Cade Cunningham and several other 2021 draft picks who signed long-term extensions are in a similar situation. Their selections this year were too early to qualify for eligibility, and each would have to make All-NBA again in 2027 and 2028 to qualify for a supermax.
The figures show why the timing appears so deliberate. Atlanta is paying a top-15 player $30 million, while his market value is roughly $49.5 million, resulting in a nearly $19 million difference for the upcoming season. Over the remaining four years of the contract, these savings could total over $80 million. This benefit increases over time because a fixed salary makes up a smaller portion of the cap as it grows. Johnson's salary starts at 18.2% next season and decreases to the mid-teens by 2029-30.
Atlanta committed to Johnson in 2024 without waiting to see how high he would climb, even before he had the All-NBA case that could have increased his value, and the number has remained unchanged since then. Saleh has a franchise centerpiece to build around who is signed through 2029-30 and the flexibility to make moves.
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