A week ago, Travis Schlenk revealed to Sarah Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution his intentions to get an extension with Kevin Huerter worked out this offseason.
“We’ve spoken with his agent,” Schlenk said. “We’re going to get into deeper dialogue next week. His agent wanted to wait a little bit and get all his free agents signed, before he went into extensions, less time-sensitive matters like the extension, but certainly his agent and Kevin are hoping to have that dialogue and certainly we are as well… Our intention is to try and get something done with Kevin, for sure.”
Red Velvet is set to earn $4.25 million this season and could receive a $6.07 million qualifying offer for next season. Jake Gordon said in June that Huerter deserved a new contract, and it’s hard to argue with Jake and Travis. Having a legit 3-and-D role player that is only 22-years-old averaging 11.2 points per game on 37.6 percent shooting from three-point range in 200 regular-season games for that price is a luxury.
However, Huerter’s run in the playoffs, which included a 27-point scoring outburst on the road in Game 7 against the 76ers, was far more impressive than his regular season numbers. He’s much longer than people realize and is deceptively athletic. He was even the team’s best defender in the playoffs. With an impressive mid-range game and knock-down capabilities, Huerter can score points on and off the ball. It won’t be a John Collins-type extension, but K’Von won’t be cheap.
A few names that come to mind to compare Huerter’s eventual contract are Josh Hart, Gary Trent Jr., and Mikal Bridges. Hart signed a three-year, $38 million contract this offseason with the Pelicans as an RFA. Trent Jr. signed a three-year, $51.8 million with the Raptors this offseason. Bridges has yet to sign a new contract, but reports point towards a $20 million APY for the former 10th overall pick.
Huerter will likely garner somewhere around these three figures — something like $14-18 million per year. If he keeps ascending, it’ll be a great contract for the team. I believe it’ll be for three years and $45-50 million — on the low end $13 million (Hart’s APY) and on the high end $20 million (Bridges’ expected APY).
You must log in to post a comment.