Seven seasons of highlights. Nearly 500 games of brilliance. Over 16,600 minutes on the hardwood carrying the weight of Atlanta basketball on his shoulders. Trae Young's unique ability to capture lightning in a bottle has transformed the Hawks from a team in dire need of direction into a franchise boasting a beating heart pulsing with swagger and victory. When you think of the Hawks, you think of Ice Trae.
And it could all be over in an instant.
Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons is proof that nothing lasts forever in sports, especially when money drives a wedge between front offices and players. In a shocking turn of events, Parsons delivered a gut-punch to Cowboys fans on Friday, taking to Twitter/X to bring to light his growing frustration with his front office.
Parsons' message spread like wildfire through the sports world in a matter of minutes - the tweet garnered 30 million (and counting) views, including Atlanta's franchise cornerstone Trae Young. As Atlanta fans have grown to know and love since his draft selection in 2018, Young has no problem speaking his mind on hot topics, and Friday was certainly no exception.
This why you pay the man early, when someone will take less early to stay in a place he wanted to be forever, you do it… the price only goes up now!
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) August 1, 2025
Get what you deserve bro!
Aside from the clear implications of the tweet concerning Parsons, it seems likely that Young is also alluding to his own contractual situation. The crown jewel of Atlanta's storied organization became eligible for a contract extension worth $229 million over four years nearly a month ago on July 6th that would secure his future in Atlanta through the 2029-2030 NBA season. This begs a pressing question.
Why hasn't Atlanta paid the man?
To say that Young's career in Atlanta has been controversial would be a stark understatement. While Young has certainly soured the spirits of opposing organizations (looking at you, New York and Philly fans), the Hawks have also fallen short a few too many times in recent years.
Disappointing playoff runs since 2021 have marred the otherwise successful tenure of the star guard. Such inconsistency must weigh heavily on the shoulders of Hawks' new GM Onsi Saleh, who may favor keeping the salary table flexible rather than committing to apparent inconsistency in future years.
This would be a blunder in countless ways.
Not only would denying Young such an extension sour his relationship with the organization through demonstrating an escalating lack of trust in his on-court abilities, but it could potentially result in inevitably owing the star an even larger sum of cash if the Hawks wait too long.
The combination of the myriad savvy moves executed by Atlanta's front office this offseason with the plethora of injuries to rival Eastern Conference teams has left the door wide open for Atlanta to make a legitimate run at a title next year.
With their lofty aspirations success comes the elevated potential for individual awards. Being the undisputed alpha of the squad, Young would likely dominate All-NBA ballots come April 2026, making the star eligible for a 5-year $345 million supermax extension the very same offseason.
Young's response to Parsons' comments lends to the notion that he is pushing for a contract extension to be agreed upon at present, the key phrase being "the price only goes up now!" Just as the price will only rise for Parsons and his overflowing talent in the NFL, so too will the price rise for Young if he achieves All-NBA honors next season. Young may favor signing the $229 million extension at present, as it represents not only "tak[ing] less early", but also a more team-friendly approach to building a contender in future seasons.
A very real world exists where Young ends up on the move next summer. Atlanta could fail to meet expectations next season and elect to retool around Jalen Johnson and Zaccharie Risacher. Perhaps even more undesirably, another world exists where Young earns All-NBA merits and qualifies for the supermax extension, at which point Saleh and the Hawks front office refuse to pay - a decision made not too long ago by rival executive Nico Harrison with his young star guard.
Such caveats may lead to a growing rift between Young and Saleh, just as it did with Parsons and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones - a future that Hawks fans should hope to avoid at all costs.