The Atlanta Hawks have a Trae Young decision to make this summer, as he became eligible to sign a four-year extension worth $229 million on July 6. Atlanta doesn't have a preseason deadline to agree to a deal with Young, so he could sign a new contract during the regular season. If NBA analyst Zach Lowe had to guess, he thinks the Hawks will let Young's situation "play out."
Lowe discussed Young's extension situation on The Zach Lowe Show. He thinks rather than pay Young this year, Atlanta will allow him to potentially become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
The guard has a $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season that he could decline to become an unrestricted free agent. Atlanta would be taking a risk by putting Young in a position to test the free agency waters. Young has said that he wants to remain with the Hawks, but until he signs an extension, anything could happen.
There is also a risk in giving Young the maximum amount of money he's eligible for because it'd lower his trade value, putting Atlanta in a challenging position.
Hawks may wait until next summer to extend Trae Young
Atlanta retooled its roster this summer, from getting Kristaps Porzingis (who can shine alongside Young if he stays healthy) to adding Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard to the bench.
The Hawks' new GM, Oni Saleh, said in his introductory press conference that he's "locked in" with Young. Based on the team's offseason moves, that checks out. However, the question remains if Young is a player Atlanta wants to commit to long-term as soon as this offseason.
Fans want to believe the answer to that question is yes, given what Young has meant to the city since he arrived in 2018. He led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, a territory that they haven't returned to.
With the East wide open and after the offseason Atlanta has had thus far, the Hawks could finally make their way back in 2026. To do so, the Hawks need Young to be at his best. Making a deep playoff run would quiet the doubts about his future if Atlanta decides not to sign him to an extension before then.
Unfortunately, this is a wait-and-see-situation. At least fans know they can feel confident in the direction the organization is headed with the new regime.