Latvian basketball player Kristaps Porzingis, who will play for the National Basketball Association (NBA) club Atlanta Hawks this season, does not plan to rush into extending his contract, the player himself said in an interview with The Athletic, LETA reports.
Porzingis has a contract worth $30.7 million for this season, and extending the agreement would allow him to earn at least $43 million per year.
"I know that such an opportunity exists," said the 30-year-old Latvian national team player. "I'm not in a hurry. I want to see how this season turns out. I want to prove that I am playing at the highest level again, that I am healthy — and then everything will fall into place on its own."
Porzingis joined the Hawks in the offseason as part of a three-team trade from the Boston Celtics, with whom he became the first Latvian NBA champion last year.
If the Latvian center does not extend his contract this season, he will become a free agent.
Last season, the Liepaja native played 42 regular-season games, averaging 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game. In the playoffs, he appeared in 11 games, averaging 21 minutes, during which he scored 7.7 points, grabbed 4.6 rebounds, made 0.7 assists, and recorded 0.8 blocks.
As Porzingis noted, he was generally not in the best shape last season, but after resting, he felt great representing Latvia at the European Championship, and he currently feels excellent as well.
Porzingis is not the only Hawks player who has yet to decide on a contract extension — last season's most improved player Dyson Daniels is in a similar situation. If the 22-year-old guard does not extend his contract by October 21, he will become a restricted free agent next season. Four-time All-Star Trae Young also has one year left on his contract — he too will be able to become a restricted free agent after the upcoming season.
The new NBA season starts on October 21.
Leave a comment