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The Atlanta Hawks have a massive decision to make with Tim Hardaway Jr. but, while the team mulls that choice, another free agent has reportedly been retained. 25-year-old big man Mike Muscala will be coming back to Atlanta on a two-year pact for $10 million, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.
Free agent forward Mike Muscala has agreed to a two-year, $10M deal to stay with the Atlanta Hawks, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 7, 2017
It is also worth noting that the second year of the deal will be a player option, allowing Muscala to hit the market again in 2018 if he so chooses.
Muscala's deal has a player option that will allow the young forward to reenter free agency next summer, sources say. https://t.co/eKdK65obDW
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 7, 2017
Muscala is certainly a role player but he turned 26 years old earlier this week and has proven to be a functional member of an NBA-quality rotation. With that as the backdrop, this is a great value for the Hawks, even if not the “sexiest” move of the offseason by any stretch.
Mike Muscala provides offensive flexibility by nature of his jump shot and positional versatility to play both spots in the frontcourt. That kind of player coming back for the equivalent of $5 million annually is a win and it is doubly nice in that the former Bucknell star is a homegrown product for the Hawks.
Congratulations to Mike Muscala on the biggest deal of his young career and the Hawks retain a valuable player on an exceedingly reasonable contract. Stay tuned.