With all that's been expected out of Trae Young in Atlanta since he first entered the league back in 2018, the Hawks have little to show for it, and it's gotten to a point where the front office can't continue to ignore these shortcomings. Talks regarding an extension (subscription required) in the 2026 offseason have gone silent, and it appears the Atlanta Hawks may be preparing for a roster overhaul depending on how Trae Young performs this season.
The issues revolving around Atlanta and their postseason woes in recent years don't fall solely on Trae Young, but he isn't just an innocent bystander in all of this either.
Hawks' fans would summarize the last four seasons of the Trae Young experiment in one word: frustrating. Young's talent is undeniable, and his consistent output on the court has been crucial to what success Atlanta HAS found, but that's the issue.
Trae Young is not getting the job done as the Hawks star
The success Atlanta has found has been minuscule, and outside of their Eastern Conference Finals run back in 2021, there is little to talk about regarding Atlanta and their potential to contend.
Combine this with Young's leadership questions and his defensive woes, and Atlanta doesn't seem to be in a hurry to get an extension in the works. Signs point towards the front office using this season as the determinant for their future with Trae Young. While his offensive output on the court is undeniably productive, averaging 24 points and nine assists per game last season, his inconsistencies on the other side of the ball have hindered the progress of a defensive-minded head coach like Quin Snyder.
Hawks shouldn't give up on Trae Young yet
For starters, with a busy offseason, Atlanta has seemed to shift their focus onto long-term assets and growth instead of continuing to foster their care towards their one primary offensive star. Atlanta doesn't seem to view Young as a player worthy of a super-max contract anymore, and with two years left on his current contract, the market for Trae Young is as high as it will ever be.
The Hawks' front office undoubtedly knows this, and it's evident by the moves they've made this offseason, bringing in versatile assets like Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard. Atlanta has begun to plug in players to help balance out Young's limitations, a heavy indicator that the future may be bleaker than what we may think for Trae Young in Atlanta.
However, it is all just speculation at the end of the day, no matter how confident the experts and analysts may sound. While moving off of Trae Young may look viable right now in the offseason, if Trae Young puts up an MVP-caliber season, or even anything close to it, no one's going to be talking about Young the way they are right now. He'd get that extension in a heartbeat, and his defensive struggles wouldn't be as apparent as they seem to be right now.
Trae Young isn't the trade-high asset that will automatically carry them into contention. With a new young core emerging in Atlanta, one that Young has already built a foundation with, a successful 2025 campaign may be all that's needed to pressure the Hawks' front office into giving Trae Young that extension.
Trae Young remains as one of Atlanta's most marketable stars as well, something that sits very well with the Hawks' front office and owners. If his Achilles issues last season were indeed just a fluke and we see Young return to his All-NBA form next season, the public and internal pressure for a Trae Young extension will be all the more apparent.
With all of this promise looming around the Atlanta Hawks, fans can only pray for the best out of their star. They must hope that this busy offseason centered around elevating Trae Young above his liabilities on defense can help him finally grow into the culture-changer that people have hyped him up to be.