Time is ticking for the Atlanta Hawks, both on the 2025 trade deadline and for talks to begin with three-time All-Star Trae Young about his next contract.
Young is in Year 3 of a five-year, $215.1 million max contract.
He will be extension-eligible after the season. And while the Hawks do not have to open talks with him and his camp – remember, Young switched from Klutch Sports to CAA during the offseason – it might be wise to at least hold preliminary discussions.
That is especially true with the 2025 trade deadline coming up, and no, not because the Hawks should consider trading Young.
To the contrary, they must determine if his level of buy-in remains unchanged.
That way they can decide their next course of action, which should be to continue adding around him if he wants to stay. With no reason to believe Young’s stance has changed, it could get pretty expensive for the Hawks.
For the Hawks, that could be a problem. The organization has not been overly eager to delve into the luxury tax.
NBA insiders believe clock is ticking for Trae Young, Hawks
“You look at Trae Young, all the stuff that's gone on in Atlanta,” ESPN’s Tim Bontemps said on “The Hoop Collective” in August 2024. “They trade Dejounte Murray this summer, they've turned over a lot of that roster, they draft Zaccharie Risacher with the first pick, they've hired a new coach the last couple years, they have a new front office.
“We're kind of at a point where there's either going to be steps towards going in the right direction from a winning standpoint in the places they're at or you're really going to have to start to wonder if both of them are going to be long-term fits where they're at.”
Young has spoken about wanting to win more. So far this season, the Hawks are tacking for a third straight trip through the Play-In Tournament if they want to make the postseason.
Bontemps’ colleague, Brian Windhorst, pointed specifically to the financial aspect.
“This is a real pivotal year as you say for Tae Young. No. 1, after this season he can extend his contract,” Windhorst said. “First off, we know that he's on the ‘Fun Max [contract].’ We know the next contract is ‘Stress Max’ time. It's been dubbed the ‘Stress Max’ because it affects both sides. Sometimes it's the stress on the team whether they can get the player to sign, and sometimes it's stress on the player about whether he can get that second max.
“In this environment under the new rules where you've got to watch the dollars being spent, especially when you get to the 30% part of the 30% max. Trae is going to have to have a big year, even if it's to stay in Atlanta and sign a max. And then it's, ‘Is it going to be in Atlanta? Is that where they're going to be?’”
Young has a $48.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season, adding more urgency to the situation.
Trae Young's All-Star-caliber play puts ball in Hawks' court
The Hoop Collective crew believed the Hawks would have moved Young in a trade, perhaps instead of Dejounte Murray, this past offseason. The issue the Hawks face now is that Young is again jockeying for All-Stardom, and he has done it by playing a more team-friendly style.
His plus-7.7 on-off differential ranks second on the team entering play on January 18, and it is the third-highest mark of his pro career, per Cleaning The Glass.
Young has received plaudits for his style turn, and has shown he can still score when needed.
“I think we’re going to be long, we’re going to be athletic, we’re gonna be very young, and I think this team is gonna be an incredible amount of fun,” Hawks CEO Steve Koonin said on “Dukes & Bell” in August 2024. “And there’s a good chance Trae Young is our oldest starter at 26 years old.”
For as much talk as there was about the Hawks looking to move on from Young during the offseason, they at least entered the season prepared for the 26-year-old to be the centerpiece of a young group.
Does that mean they would make more changes? It certainly suggests they should at least explore it.