The Hawks excercised their 2014-15 team option on John Jenkins late Thursday just hours before the deadline to do so. The team will not pick up the third-year option on Jared Cunningham.
Jenkins will receive $1.31 million in the third year of his rookie contract next season. The Hawks also have a team option on the guard for the 2015-16 season at $2.23 million and the right to make a qualifying offer for the 2016-17 season. The Hawks drafted Jenkins in the first round last year with the 23rd overall selection out of Vanderbilt. He appeared in 61 games last season and averaged 6.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists.
A back injury sidelined Jenkins for much of the summer. He had a reoccurance during training camp and appeared in just two games and averaged 4.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 21.0 minutes.
Cunningham, obtained in a draft day trade with the Mavericks, will become an unrestricted free agent following this season. The guard was orginally a first-round selection of the the Cavaliers with the 24th overall selection in 2012 out of Oregon State. He was traded draft night to the Mavericks.
Cunningham appeared in five exhibition games for the Hawks and averaged 9.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 18.8 minutes.
Neither Jenkins nor Cunningham played in the Hawks’ season-opening game Wednesday.
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