Trae Young, the heart and soul of the Atlanta Hawks, is “optimistic about returning to action this month,” per Shams Charania. The Hawks are 13-8 since losing Young, but haven’t looked quite as impressive as their record suggests.
The Hawks made critical steps with Young off the floor, as four players reached new heights on offense over the last month (Alexander-Walker, Johnson, Okongwu, and Krejci). Perhaps one day we’ll look back at this absence as what allowed the Hawks to find the perfect system with Young back. Still, without their star point guard, the Hawks' halfcourt offense has been average at best.
The Hawks need Young back, and it seems like we’ll be getting him in the next three weeks.
The Hawks need to make a decision regarding Young
Young’s return doesn’t just impact the team’s on-court play. He needs to be healthy for the Hawks to make the move that will define the legacy the franchise has regarding the late 2020s.
Will the Hawks extend Young, or will he be sent packing?
To be clear, there is no indication the Hawks have ever listened to trades for Young. Still, the team’s noncommittal stance regarding Young’s expiring contract raises questions. Surely Atlanta won’t lose him for nothing – the trade deadline is the deadline for the Hawks to make a move.
Young is seeking a four-year, $229 million extension that would start next season. While Young is a fantastic player, there is no reason to give him this max extension. The $57.25 million annually from a max is MVP candidate money, and Young has never been close to that level as a player. Fortunately for Atlanta, no other team can offer Young this contract (barring a trade).
Young’s max from a non-Hawks team in free agency is a four-year, $213 million extension – $53.25 million annually. This is still an overpay, and I do not foresee any team with cap space extending this offer to Young. This theoretically gives the Hawks the leverage to come away with a considerably cheaper deal, but of course, no agreement has been signed.
Young has not had a chance to prove himself with the new Hawks squad, which is his best supporting cast of his career. Perhaps with a young, deep team, Young can find success and spearhead a run that gets him paid.
The far more likely outcome, however, is that Young’s return gives the Hawks a noticeable boost, but they are still not competitive against the true championship contenders. This leaves the Hawks in a tough spot with just under two months to make a move. I expect the Hawks extend Young to a three-year, $160 million contract – a "max" contract over three years.