The Atlanta Hawks already used the first day of free agency to sign hometown center Dwight Howard to a three-year deal worth just over $70 million. Now they've turned their attention to bringing back a wing who helped them quite a bit in 2015-16. According to multiple reports, Kent Bazemore has agreed to a four-year, $70 million deal to remain with the Hawks.
He was rumored to be approaching around $20 million per season in offers, but settles in with an incredible jump in pay from $2 million this past season to an average of $17.5 million per season over the life of this new contract.
Hawks have reached a deal with Kent Bazemore, 4 years/70 millions according to sources
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 2, 2016
Bazemore signed with the Hawks back in 2014 on a two-year deal for $4 million. That came after working his way up from an undrafted free agent in the Golden State Warriors organization to a brief period with the Los Angeles Lakers. Then he was the backup to both Kyle Korver and DeMarre Carroll in 2014-15 when the Hawks finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 60-22.
After Carroll was signed away by the Toronto Raptors last summer, Bazemore started 68 of the 75 games he played in during the 2015-16 season and put up career numbers across the board. He was the primary defensive wing for the Hawks, hit over 100 3-pointers for the first time in his career, and became a highly sought-after free agent this summer. As one of those coveted 3-and-D specialists, he's cashed in like Carroll, Khris Middleton, and Danny Green all did a year ago.
