Today was an important deadline for the Atlanta Hawks for several reasons. One of them concerned emerging forward Vit Krejci and whether or not to give him a two-way qualifying offer. The Hawks made the easy decision to extend a two-way qualifying offer to Krejci according to Lauren Williams at the AJC, making him a restricted free agent now. Atlanta can now match any offer that another team puts in front of Krejci.

This was a pretty easy decision for the Hawks to make considering how well Krejci played toward the end of the season. Because of the injuries that the Hawks had to the entire team, Krejci was forced to play a lot down the stretch, including starting a few games. He played in 22 games last season, starting 14 of them and averaged 6.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 2.5 APG. He shot 49% from the field, including 41% from three. At 6’8 195 LBS, Krejci became a wing player with size and shooting that the Hawks were lacking. His best performance came in the Hawks huge comeback against the Boston Celtics, a game in which he scored 16 points, including 13 points in one quarter. He was 4-7 from three that night.

What could Krejci’s role be on this team? The Hawks have gotten bigger and better on the wing and at the point of attack through the early parts of this offseason. They drafted Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 overall pick and just acquired Dyson Daniels in the Dejounte Murray trade. De’Andre Hunter is still on the team as well. Krejci is young and showed he has potential last season, but it was also in a very small sample size. There is not a clear pathway for him to play a ton of minutes this season, but that could change. I think the Hawks made the right move today by extending him the offer.

The Hawks have been making key decisions today with their free agents. They did not extend a qualifying offer to Saddiq Bey, making him an unrestricted free agent and they picked up the $2.2 million dollar team option for Garrison Matthews, bringing him back for another season. Krejci

ATLANTA – Hundreds of students gathered this week at the Georgia World Congress Center as part of the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference. Among various activities, students participated in the Complete the Cycle community service project, assembling 80 bicycles destined for children in metro Atlanta.

“These kids come from all corners of the nation. They are not just competitors; they are aspiring national leaders,” remarked one organizer. 

The SkillsUSA conference, a platform for vocational and technical education, emphasizes both practical skills and leadership development. Students involved in the Complete the Cycle project demonstrated their ability to apply their skills for a meaningful cause.

The organization has served nearly 15 million students since it was established in 1965. 

The Atlanta Braves have already had an injury-plagued 2024 season, from Spencer Strider, to Ronald Acuña Jr., and many in between. There are several players, though, who now come with positive updates regarding their recovery status.

Michael Harris II, who suffered a hamstring strain on June 14, has begun hitting and throwing. He has not yet been cleared to run, but his return may not be too far away.

Tyler Matzek has been crow hopping from 90 feet, after he was placed on the injured list on May 7 with elbow inflammation.

As for A.J. Minter, another rehab start is coming up on Sunday, which will set him up to be activated early next week. He hit the 15-day injured list on May 30 with left hip inflammation.

And lastly, the road to recovery continues for Ian Anderson, as his rehab assignment was transferred to the Augusta GreenJackets.

More Braves News:

Charlie Morton was stellar and the offensive was explosive as the Braves downed the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-1.

In his Double-A debut, Lucas Braun fanned nine. More in the minor league recap.

MLB Pipeline’s latest mock draft has right-hander Braylon Doughty to Atlanta.

Carson Benge’s name has come up in plenty of mock drafts. He was originally projected to land with the Braves, but his draft stock has gone up to 12th overall.

The Athletic proposes four trade scenarios and how they could work in Atlanta’s favor.

Braves Podcasts:

MLB News:

Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda passed away at age 86. The 1967 NL MVP spent the majority of his career with the San Francisco Giants.

The San Francisco Giants placed two infielders on the 10-day injured list in Thairo Estrada and Wilmer Flores. Estrada suffered a wrist sprain and Flores has knee tendinitis.

New York Mets reliever Drew Smith will likely require Tommy John surgery but is headed to get a second opinion.

The Philadelphia Phillies placed Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber on the 10-day injured list. Harper suffered a hamstring strain, while Schwarber goes down with a groin strain.

The Washington Nationals will reportedly call up top outfield prospect James Wood on Monday. The 6-foot-7 21-year-old has put up some ridiculous numbers in the minors.