Jalen Johnson

Lore & Background

Johnson played his first two years of high school basketball for Sun Prairie High School in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. After his sophomore year he transferred to Nicolet High School, helping lead them to the Division 2 State Championship. He was named the Associated Press Player of the Year for Wisconsin. In 2019, Johnson transferred to IMG Academy for his senior year but left on January 5, 2020, before returning to Nicolet.

He was ruled eligible on February 8 to play the remainder of the season. As a senior, he averaged 24.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 9 games. He was selected to play in the Jordan Brand Classic, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Johnson was rated as a five-star recruit and the No. 13 overall recruit in the 2020 high school class.

On July 4, 2019, he committed to Duke. In his college career, Johnson averaged 11.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game over 13 games. On February 15, 2021, he announced he would forgo the remainder of Duke's season to prepare for the 2021 NBA draft. He was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 20th pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

In his rookie season, he appeared in 22 games. In the 2022–23 season, he averaged 5.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in 70 games. In the 2023–24 season, he set then-career highs with averages of 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. On April 4, 2024, he recorded his first career triple-double.

On October 21, 2024, Johnson agreed to a five-year, $150 million contract extension. In his fourth season, he averaged career highs of 18.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game in 36 games before his season was cut short on January 29, 2025, due to shoulder surgery. At that point, he was one of the leading candidates for the Most Improved Player award.

Reader's Guide

Jalen Johnson is a forward for the Atlanta Hawks. He played high school basketball at Sun Prairie High School and Nicolet High School, and college basketball at Duke. He was drafted 20th overall in 2021. He signed a five-year, $150 million contract extension in October 2024. He recorded his first career triple-double on April 4, 2024. His 2024–25 season ended early due to shoulder surgery.

Did You Know?

• He recorded his first career triple-double on April 4, 2024, with 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists against the Detroit Pistons.
• He was one of the leading candidates for the Most Improved Player award before his 2024–25 season was cut short by shoulder surgery on January 29, 2025.