The Atlanta Hawks re-signed Jalen Johnson back in October 2024, and they've now been fully vindicated for what was a bit of a controversial decision at the time. Johnson has turned into an All-Star level player that could be a legitimate franchise cornerstone in Atlanta moving forward.
Headed into the 2024-25 season at the time of his signing, Jalen was averaging just 8.0 points for his entire career. There was no guarantee that he was going to remain a real impactful rotation player in the NBA in the long-term.
Contrast that with the career-high 43-point outing he just put up against the Hornets on Thursday, along with the fact that he's enjoying a breakout season averaging 23.