Trae Young has carried the Atlanta Hawks franchise for the past seven years, and the front office has finally rewarded his patience by surrounding him with the best supporting cast in his entire career. Newly promoted General Manager Onsi Saleh signed Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kennard, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker all within a week.
Given their playstyles, it’s clear that the franchise is fully investing in Young and his ability as the best passer in the world. The 26-year-old led the league in assists this year with 11.6 per game, and his recently added teammates complement Young well. Porzingis and Kennard are 40% three-point shooters, while Walker is a defensive stalwart who will support Young in the backcourt.
Saleh has completely altered the course of the ‘Trae Young Era’ within three months, and he’s secured the distant future as well by acquiring a potential top-5 pick in the loaded 2026 NBA draft. These moves have positioned Trae to become the young leader of a championship contender, so it’s up to the 4x All-Star to elevate his game even more as he heads into year eight.
Expectations & Predictions For the 2025-26 Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta is set to be in the spotlight this season, and with injuries impacting the Eastern Conference, the Hawks are primed for a resurgence. Perennial All-Stars Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum will miss the entire 2025-26 season, which will cause their teams to drop in the standings. With two contenders regressing drastically, the Hawks have a chance to climb to the top of the Eastern Conference if they’re able to remain healthy.
Injuries devastated the roster last year, including their co-centerpiece Jalen Johnson, who was having an All-Star caliber season before tearing his left labrum in January. As the season progressed, the Hawks still showed great potential with players like Dyson Daniels leading the league in steals as the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up and winning Most Improved Player at 22 years old.
Rookie of the Year runner-up Zaccharie Risacher will also make massive improvements heading into year two, so a fully healthy Hawks team will win at least 49 games this season. On paper, their depth gives them one of the more versatile offenses in the league and tremendous length on defense to minimize Young’s main weakness.
It’s the perfect hierarchy for a pass-first point guard with defensive struggles, and it’s perfect timing as he approaches his prime years. Young experienced losing seasons for the majority of the rookie extension, but he’s demonstrated his loyalty on multiple occasions.
Is Trae Worth The Max Extension?
Young most recently showed his loyalty to the club with the decision to support Kobe Bufkin and Asa Newell during the 2K26 NBA Summer League, instead of attending a luxurious Jordan Brand event that took place in Athens, Greece, during the same time. Young signed with Jordan in November of 2024, so it would've been excellent for his brand.
Other NBA superstars were also in attendance, most notably Los Angeles Lakers centerpiece Luka Dončić, who recently signed a $165 million three-year extension with the illustrious franchise. His extension was followed by De’Aaron Fox’s four-year $229 million extension with the San Antonio Spurs, leaving many pundits wondering when Young will sign his extension.
NBA Today covered the situation during their broadcast on August 5th. During the show, ESPN Reporter Marcus J. Spears shared some insight on the situation.
“Trae has done a lot to show he is invested in the Hawks, (from) Nickeil Alexander Walker to (Luke) Kennard, He’s convinced these guys to sign with the Hawks,” said Spears “ Instead of going to the Jordan thing this summer, he went to summer league to meet with Byrson Graham and the other new front office guys, so there’s a new front office in Atlanta that’s trying to make decisions, but what im hearing is that Trae is disappointed that it hasn’t come yet.”
Young has established himself as one of the league’s top-10 point guards, even though his all-time record with the Hawks is 219-264. His losses were crucial for his growth, and with his 27th birthday approaching in September, he has finally reached a maturity level where he can lead such a talented team.
If the front office is still skeptical about his leadership skills, this will be the perfect opportunity to dispel all doubts. They finally have their core group for the future with Daniels, Risacher, Okongwu, Johnson, Newell, and Walker, who all align with Young’s timeline.
He still has two years remaining on his current contract, with a player option for 2026-27 worth $48 million, so Saleh still has time to offer a deal. The maximum offer they can offer Young is $229 million, and after assessing what he’s done thus far, he is worth every cent. His playstyle fits perfectly with his teammates, and the entire roster has expressed interest in playing alongside the legendary Hawk.