After finally being granted his wish of a contending roster, all of the pressure is on Trae Young now.
For years, the Hawks have struggled to build a competitive roster around Young. He was one of the league's brightest stars as a young player but has since received criticism for not being a winning player. Now he has his chance to prove his critics wrong once and for all after receiving the first legitimate playoff supporting cast of his career.
This development, however, has been overshadowed by an unpleasant truth that is impossible to ignore. Trae Young could be a free agent next offseason.
Young doesn't appear to be on the move anytime soon. Contract negotiations between Young and Atlanta have reportedly stalled, however, leaving Young prepared to play out the final year of his deal in hopes of earning a max deal.
Young enters this season with a chip on his shoulder
Young will have to prove himself as the team's leader this season. But what exactly the Hawks need to see to feel comfortable offering a max is unclear.
The Hawks are outside favorites to win the East this year, finishing fourth in most projections behind Cleveland, New York, and Orlando. It is likely that the front office in Atlanta disagrees with these projections, however, and sees a real path to the Finals.
If Young is leading the Hawks to the fourth seed heading into the trade deadline, will the Hawks be content offering a max deal? How does the team even value this season? In the weakest Eastern Conference in years, where multiple championship-level teams had an injury-induced fall from grace, there is an argument that simply achieving expectations is setting a low standard for Atlanta.
What makes an extension even more challenging is that Young is not being evaluated in the fairest environment.
The Hawks team is loaded with talent but lacks roster continuity. Of the other four presumed starters, his longest-tenured partnership is with Jalen Johnson at 152 games played together. Since Johnson broke out as a star in the 2023-24 season, the two have played just 72 games together. Zaccharie Risacher and Dyson Daniels have each played just one season alongside Young, and Kristaps Porzingis is set to make his Hawks debut next month.
Front offices are usually patient in these scenarios, giving the team at least a season before making big-picture roster moves. Atlanta, however, cannot afford this patience - their most impactful decision as a franchise for the foreseeable future is how they handle this contract situation.
With high expectations and zero margin for error, Ice Trae has one of the biggest challenges of his career ahead of him.