With all the buzz around the Atlanta Hawks' new-look roster, the only thing that can stop them is themselves. This self-implosion just became much more realistic after Brian Windhorst claimed that "they aren't going to give him a max extension."
The truth is that a max deal for Young would be an overpay. Young is an incredible player, but time and time again, teams have derailed their championship odds by overpaying their star players. The Hawks find themselves in a catch-22 situation. They need Young for this team to reach its ceiling, but giving Young a max would prohibit the team from making the final leap to true championship contenders.
This revelation from Windhorst begs the question of whether Young will accept less than a max while remaining dialed in. While he has been a stand-up leader in his time as a Hawk, a breakdown in contract negotiations could quickly turn messy.
As an all-time competitive spirit, Young could use this perceived disrespect to fuel his best season yet. We've seen him use criticism in the media and from fans to drive some of his best moments as a Hawk. The prime example of this is how he "owns the Knicks" after dominating in the playoffs against a hostile Madison Square Garden crowd. Years later, Young carries this same fire in every game against New York.
However, star players in contract disputes rarely react this way. It is much more common for a player to instead hog the ball in an attempt to earn their contract through impressive box score performances. Young has shown to be true to Atlanta, but this extension could prove to be what drives a wedge between him and the franchise.
These rumors are the only thing that could stop Atlanta's ascent
Hawks fans everywhere held their breath after hearing Windhorst's comments.
We've likely all thought the same thing; nobody can stop Atlanta if Young takes less than a max. He is one of the best guards in the league, yet he exists on a Hawks team that is going to get real expensive real soon. The star core of Young, Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, and Kristaps Porzingis is perhaps the deadliest starting five in the league.
But the sheer talent on the roster means Atlanta cannot afford to pay everyone their max. With the introduction of the second apron, the consequences of assembling an expensive roster are much more serious than in years past. If Young gets his max, the Hawks will be forced to cut their championship-contending era short before its natural conclusion, like the Celtics did this offseason.
Now that an NBA insider has declared Atlanta's intentions with such confidence, the potential consequences of Young's looming free agency became real. All we can hope is that Young continues to give the Hawks his all as he always has.