Trae Young may be headed into a pivotal year with the Atlanta Hawks, but not for the reasons fans were expecting. According to NBA insider Marc J. Spears, the 4x All-Star is frustrated with the team’s front office after not receiving an extension offer this summer, despite being eligible for a four-year, $229 million max deal.
“There’s a new front office in Atlanta that’s trying to make decisions,” Spears said on NBA Today. “But what I’m hearing now at this point, and you could tell by Trae’s tweet, I think he’s disappointed it hasn’t been offered. So don’t be surprised at this point if he plays it out and sees what happens next summer.”
With a year left before he can opt out, Young is now entering the 2025-26 season with a growing sense of uncertainty, and it could spell trouble for a Hawks team still trying to define its identity in the Eastern Conference.
Young currently has just two years left on his contract, worth $94 million. With the 2026-27 campaign being a player option, he can opt out and become a free agent as soon as next summer. In Trae’s mind, of course, he’s worth a lifetime commitment from the Hawks and believes that he should have been offered a new, max-level contract weeks ago.
With averages of 24.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 11.6 assists per game last season, Young is the face of the Hawks and their most important player by far. Even as the team has gotten younger with guys like Zaccharie Risacher, Dyson Daniels, and Jalen Johnson, Trae Young has been carrying the Hawks and setting the pace offensively since he was drafted in 2018.
Unfortunately, besides a run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, the Hawks have been mostly unsuccessful during Young’s tenure. Last season, they finished 8th in the East at 40-42. In the 2023-24 campaign? They were even worse at 10th in the standings (a measly 36-46 record).
The good news for the Hawks is that their new, revamped roster should help them return to contention next season. The most important addition was big man sharpshooter and NBA champion, Kristaps Porzingis. His size, experience, and ability to stretch the floor will be huge for Atlanta, and Young will only make things easier for him with his elite playmaking ability. That’s not even accounting for the growth and development of the young players, who should take a major leap next season.
With their recent failures, it’s possible that the Hawks want to see how this next season plays out before committing any more time and money to Trae. Unlike past seasons, the Hawks may finally have the depth to move forward without Young if needed. If they don’t feel like they can succeed with Young, they may not be interested in extending his contract.
Of course, they may not have a choice now, regardless. Young reportedly views the lack of an offer as a sign of disrespect, and he may decide to become a free agent (or force a trade) now that the Hawks have shown some doubts about his leadership abilities.
Now, with no extension on the table, all eyes are on how Trae Young responds. Whether it’s a prove-it year that elevates the Hawks back into playoff relevance or a final run before testing free agency, the stakes have never been higher. If Atlanta doesn’t move quickly, they could be facing the very real possibility of losing their franchise player, and once he walks, there’s no guarantee he comes back.
