Peachtree Hoops: Untangling the Vit Krejci roster knot and a look ahead to free agency

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Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images

Explaining why Vit Krejci was kept on a two-way contract and more.

As we transition into the offseason, the franchise will have to answer some unsettling questions about the disappointing performance this past season. Despite ostensibly being set up to grab an Eastern Conference playoff spot over the past few year, in 2023-24 they were repeatedly beset by defensive collapses and untimely injuries to key members.

It’s not a stretch to say an early exit in the Play-In Tournament was not anyone’s goal.

And so, the Hawks will have to consider every player and current asset in efforts to improve the roster as they look to turn the corner in 2024-25. That consideration begs a proper look ahead to who is under contract and who is not from last season’s team.

First, I wanted to address maybe the most underrated question that emerged down the stretch of the season — what to do with Vit Krejci?

The Hawks signed the third-year guard/wing Krejci to a two-way deal midway through the season after waiving him in the summer of 2023. While he spent the majority of his time in the following weeks with the College Park Skyhawks, he was recalled to the senior team in early March for good once injuries struck.

He soon started a stretch of 13 games for the Hawks, providing valuable ‘glue guy’ contributions with improved defense, shooting, and always crisp ball movement. For the season, he averaged just six points, two assists, and two rebounds per game, but he shot 41% from three and was often tasked with slowing down the opposing team’s best wing.

However, two-way players are ineligible to play in the postseason, including the Play-In Tournament. To have had his services in the postseason, the Hawks needed to have converted his deal to a standard deal by the last game of the season — something that would have required waiving one of the 15 guaranteed players.

Instead, they stood pat and kept him on his two-way deal. The Hawks were of course blown out by the Bulls, so maybe the issue was always moot.

But why not just sign him? He was certainly deserving of a standard contract with his play. Well, as a two-way player yet to reach his fourth season, the Hawks now retain his rights in restricted free agency by keeping him on that contract (in addition to losing the Bird rights from the waived player).

The qualifying offer will be just that of another two-way deal in 2024-25, but should Krejci turn that down — something likely to happen — he’ll then be a restricted free agent, open to test the market.

Of course, the Hawks would then have the right of first refusal, i.e. they can unilaterally match all offer sheets signed with any of the other 29 teams. Still, there seems to be an indication from the team — not to mention the player — that the desire is to sign Krejci to a standard multi-year deal without him (metaphorically) leaving the building.

Seth Lundy, the other two-way player eligible to sign to another year on a two-way deal, most likely would sign the two-way offer if extended I would figure given his lack of experience.

For reference, here’s a quick rundown of the roster as we head into the summer (all figures per Spotrac if not otherwise stated):

Guaranteed salary for 2024-25:

• Trae Young (~$43 million)
• Dejounte Murray (~$26.2 million assuming a bump for unlikely incentives reached, first year of extension)
• Clint Capela (~$22.3 million, expiring)
• De’Andre Hunter (~$22 million)
• Bogdan Bogdanovic (~$17.3 million)
• Onyeka Okongwu ($14 million, first year of extension)
• Jalen Johnson (~$4.5 million, extension eligible)
• Kobe Bufkin (~$4.3 million)
• AJ Griffin (~$3.9 million, team option in 2025-26)
• Mouhamed Gueye (~$1.9 million, unguaranteed in 2025-26)

Partial guarantee/non-guarantee/team option:

• Bruno Fernando (~$2.7 million unguaranteed)
• Garrison Mathews (~$2.3 million team option)

Restricted free agency (if qualifying offer is declined)

• Saddiq Bey (~$7 million qualifying offer for making starter criteria)
• Vit Krejci (<$100,000 two-way qualifying offer)
• Seth Lundy (<$100,000 two-way qualifying offer)

Unrestricted free agency (either non-Bird, early Bird, or full Bird rights):

• Trent Forrest (early Bird)
• Wesley Matthews (non-Bird)
• Dylan Windler (unrestricted due to him exhausting his two-way eligibility, non-Bird)

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