Atlanta Hawks accused of wasting prime years of Trae Young's career

The narrative around Trae Young may be changing.

For the past few years – and really throughout his career – detractors point to Young’s size and the challenges it presents as arguments against his ability as a No. 1 option on a title team. But Bleacher Report’s Mo Dakhil makes a case that can be used to argue it is the other way around.

The Hawks are 120-126 over the past three seasons, earning them a spot on Dakhil’s list of “most disappointing franchises” in that span.

They rank fourth on the five-team list.

“After the Atlanta Hawks' surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020-21, they have been nothing but disappointing since,” Dakhil wrote on October 5. “The following season, the Hawks went a lackluster 43-39, finished eighth in the East and in the play-in tournament. Atlanta did make it into the playoffs but was eliminated in the first round by Miami in five games.

“That team played with a level of apathy that often frustrated fans. Franchise cornerstone Trae Young was even quoted as saying: ‘It's regular season. I'm not going to lie, it's a lot more boring than the playoffs.’”

Young’s sentiments have evolved as he has aged.

He said that the run to the Eastern Conference Finals was not enough. Ironically, former Hawks swingman Kevin Huerter said that was the beginning of the end for that group.

The Hawks have not advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs since then, having to forge through the Play-In Tournament each time. They failed to make the playoffs for the first time in four seasons in 2023-24.

This offseason, they traded away Dejounte Murray. 

The deal was completed nearly two years to the day after they first acquired the San Antonio Spurs star. Their return in that deal has been heavily scrutinized.

“To further cement its suboptimal luck, Atlanta got the first overall pick a year too late for Victor Wembanyama and a year too early for Cooper Flagg,” Dakhil wrote. “Over the last three seasons, it has been nothing but disappointment for the Hawks during a slide from conference finalist to the lottery while Young's prime dwindles.”

Entering his seventh NBA season at 26 years old, Young has plenty of prime years left.

However, the NBA is still a business. And both sides have a significant business decision to make on the horizon.

“This is a real pivotal year … for Trae Young. No. 1, after this season he can extend his contract,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on “The Hoop Collective” in August. “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.”

Young is in Year 3 of a five-year, $215.1 million contract. 

But he also has a $48.9 million player option for the final season of the deal in 2026-27, putting the Hawks on a deadline one way or another to figure out their next direction. That has taken the form of surrounding Young with length and defense.

However, Hawks general manager Landry Fields has already said the roster remains a work in progress. 

That does not necessarily mean anything for Young’s future.

He has not pushed for a trade, but rather for the Hawks to get back to competing for the postseason and trying to make another extended run. So far, the Hawks have not been able to recapture their 2020-21 magic.