According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Atlanta Hawks are going to have more reasons than one to root for Jalen Johnson's success in the upcoming season. Stein writes in his latest Substack post: I'm told that the Hawks are eager to see more of Young alongside versatile swingman Jalen Johnson — who was limited to 36 games last season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury — as they make determinations about their big-picture future.
There's two layers to this report from Stein. The first being that the Hawks appear to be very excited about what Trae Young and Jalen Johnson can do on the floor together. And secondly, it would appear that the front office is considering what kind of upside these two have as a pairing and using that as at least part of their reasoning when thinking about what this team should look like going forward.
It's also important to note that Stein cites a recent article from his colleague Jake Fischer and talks about how the Hawks and Young seem to be in agreement about playing out this coming season before making any concrete determinations about what an extension would look like. Of course, what that means is that the next nine eight or nine months are going to be absolutely crucial.
Jalen Johnson's season will determine a lot about the Hawks' future
The good thing here is that Atlanta seems to be confident in what Young and Johnson can achieve together. That's good, because the pairing truly has a chance to be something special. Jalen showed incredible growth this past season. Prior to Johnson's injury, it's not crazy to say there were times when he was the Hawks' most important player.
Atlanta should want to build around these guys, but it is also smart to desire to see one more full season of them playing alongside one another with no major injuries. I feel confident saying that this duo will have instilled plenty of confidence in the front office by the time next summer rolls around, especially with the upgraded supporting cast that now resides in the Hawks' locker room as well.
This team has a real chance at finishing with a top-four record in the Eastern Conference and making a deep run in the playoffs next season. Should they do that while getting strong performances from Trae Young and especially Jalen Johnson, it feels inevitable that Young will be getting handed an extension, and Atlanta will become a superpower for years to come.