According to reports, unrestricted free agent guard/forward Kent Bazemore has agreed to re-sign with the Atlanta Hawks. His new deal will pay him $70 million over four years. The contract cannot officially be signed until the end of the NBA’s moratorium period on July 7th.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN first reported the news on Friday night:
Hawks have reached a deal with Kent Bazemore, 4 years/70 millions according to sources
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 2, 2016
Report: Kent Bazemore Agrees to Re-sign with Atlanta Hawks
Bazemores’ contract will take him through the end of the 2019-20 season. No player or team options have been reported to be included in the deal at this time.
Bazemore averaged 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game last season for the Hawks. This year, Bazemore is one of the best under-the-radar free agents. With DeMarre Carroll leaving Atlanta last off-season, it gave Bazemore the opportunity to fill the void in the starting role. He did a great job of bringing athleticism to the Hawks, which was what they needed. He has struggled to find stability in the NBA, with the Hawks being his third team in five years. Now, Atlanta may have finally provided a permanent NBA home for Bazemore.
Looking forward, Bazemore will continue to start on for the Hawks, next to Kyle Korver on the wing. He will have a bigger offensive role for them now if he is able to improve his three-point shooting. Bazemore will be able to provide energy for the Hawks, who now have a starting lineup that includes Dennis Schroder, Paul Millsap, and Dwight Howard alongside the two wing players. Atlanta will need Bazemore to stay consistent and step up as a key offensive weapon in order to contend for homecourt advantage in the 2016-17 season.
Bazemore is going into his sixth season in the league, during which he’ll be 27 years old. After going undrafted in the 2012 NBA draft, he signed with the Golden State Warriors. He was then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2014, and signed with the Hawks the same year. Atlanta will be the first team to sign Bazemore for the long-term, and this contract will take him through his basketball prime years.
Check out the LWOS 2016 NBA Free Agency Tracker for all of your NBA free agency coverage, and be sure to follow @LastWordHoops on Twitter to stay up-to-date with the latest NBA news.
