Trae Young has found himself at the epicenter of criticism amid the Hawks’ inconsistent start to the season. From his lack of effort on defense, jumping to the conclusion that the Hawks are better without him on the floor, Young has been criticized in several ways as they struggle with a 17-20 start to the season (10th in the East).
The Hawks star, who is currently sidelined with a right quad contusion, took to social media and fired a cryptic shot seemingly aimed at silencing all the critics, including unverified trade rumors.
“Consider the source before you consider the statement -❄️,” wrote Young on X.
Now, this statement could be directed at one of two things: his critics or the trade rumors. Blake Griffin, who was not considered a good defender in his career, recently criticized Young for his lack of effort on the floor, costing the Hawks.
The Hawks are 15-12 without Young, and 2-8 with him on the floor. Such numbers have warranted a deeper dive into whether these criticisms are true.
Young could be referring to the potential hypocrisy of Griffin to criticize another player’s effort while lacking it himself throughout his career. The 27-year-old guard is currently averaging 19.3 points, 8.9 assists, and 1.5 rebounds while shooting 41.5% from the field and 30.5% from beyond the arc in 10 games played.
While Young has found it hard to stay healthy this season, his offensive output in the games he played is also nowhere close to his best self, hence warranting the criticism.
However, it is more likely that the Hawks star is referring to the rampant trade rumors that have plagued him this summer. Until late December, Young was a common feature in trade rumors as he is up for a contract extension, which he hasn’t yet signed.
Young currently has a $48.9 million player option on his contract for next season. If he puts his contract extension on hold for this season, he could sign a contract worth $121 million more than what he would have had if he signed it this previous summer.
Subsequently, Young was included in several hypothetical trades and potential packages out of the Hawks franchise. The Hawks reportedly have their eye on Anthony Davis now, but it was later clarified that Trae Young will likely not be included in this deal.
Reports claim that the Hawks are eyeing the star duo of Trae Young and Anthony Davis. If the Hawks can put together a package that lands the Mavericks forward on this roster without giving up Jalen Johnson, Young, or the rights to the Pelicans’ 2026 first-round (unprotected) pick, then the Hawks might propel themselves to serious title contenders.
But that would be a very expensive roster for the Hawks as both Davis and Young are looking at max extensions and major player options ($62 million and $48.9 million, respectively) next season.
Even Stacey King, the former three-time NBA champion, recently claimed that the Hawks will likely not move Young, as their current ownership really loves and supports him.
Therefore, it is much more likely that Young is simply shutting down the trade rumors for good and confirming that he is, in fact, not going anywhere, which is a good sign for the Hawks.
