After the dust settled on the Atlanta Hawks' A+ offseason, the focus of the offseason became Trae Young's expiring contract. Atlanta's franchise player has a player option for next season that he is expected to decline, meaning he could be a free agent in less than a year.
Young attempted to silence the rumors of his departure today. When asked if he was disappointed that he had not received a contract, Young took a second to think, then replied, "I don't know [about] the word disappointment, I mean, maybe, for sure. For me, I'm so focused. I'm more happy about the team that we got going into this season. I'm blessed, bro. I wasn't stressing about anything. If something happened, it happened. If it didn't, I still got time.
Trae Young responds to @ATLjohnson18’s question about not getting a contract extension done to this point: pic.twitter.com/H2lpUsJPxn
— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) September 29, 2025
"I'm focused on this team. I'm focused on right now" Young reiterated, "I got a great team going into the season that you can't say I've had. So I'm even more excited about that. Who knows what the future is for me. But right now I'm here and I'm present like me and Coach [Quin Snyder] have been talking about. I'm ready to go."
Young is not worried about his contract situation
The story regarding Young's media day has been twisted in the eyes of the public, however. Carefully chopped quotes suggesting that he is truly upset with his contract situation garnered millions of views, and this became the narrative. What was meant to be a candid reflection from Young on a difficult situation was twisted to rile up fans.
What Young clearly meant in this quote was that he wants a max deal, but is not worried about moving on from the team. This is a logical point of view, as it makes zero sense for either Young or Atlanta to terminate their business relationship.
Young could receive a "max" offer in free agency, but this maximum deal will be worth less than what Atlanta could offer. Furthermore, with how expensive Young's contract will be, there is almost no foreseeable way a team ready to compete will have the cap space to make a competitive offer. A sign and trade could be a possibility, but again, who would be the suitor? Teams rarely have the cap space, matching salary, draft capital, and supporting talent to justify such a blockbuster.
From the team's perspective, there is simply no way to replace Young on this roster. Not only is he a top-25 player in the league, but this team was handcrafted for a ball-dominant scoring virtuoso at the point guard position, albeit with defensive limitations. Similar players do exist, with Jalen Brunson, Steph Curry, and Ja Morant as the most obvious examples. However, these players are not available in trade talks, even for Young.
For a breakup to occur, either Young or the team would have to sacrifice their own future simply to spite the other side. Of course, Young knows this, so he told the truth when asked about his contract situation. He probably wishes that both Atlanta had more faith in him and that he didn't have to worry about contract negotiations during such a critical season, so there is some level of disappointment.
But do not be fooled - Young is not angry with the team. Instead, he understands the road ahead: If he and the team find success, he'll get paid. If not, he'll have to settle.