Trae Young’s contract situation has caught the attention of the world yet again after Young released a cryptic tweet, saying "it’s just business…" followed by a laughing emoji. An important distinction is that Young included the quotes, indicating that he is quoting someone himself.
“It’s just business…” 😂
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) October 14, 2025
This is the second cryptic tweet Young has fired off this offseason relating to his contract extension, first replying to Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys, “This why you pay the man early, when someone will take less early to stay in a place he wanted to be forever, you do it… the price only goes up now! Get what you deserve bro!”
Young, like Parsons, is entering what is likely the last year of his current contract. The traditional NBA custom is to secure players of Young’s caliber with an extension before their contract expires to prevent losing the player for nothing in free agency. Up to this point, however, Young has not re-signed with Atlanta.
Reporting in August indicated that the two sides were at a standstill, with Young’s camp reportedly feeling “resigned for some time to the prospect of seeing out the final guaranteed year on his current contract rather than securing an extension.” Negotiations are clearly still ongoing, however, the closed-door conversations surrounding these negotiations likely prompted this tweet.
Atlanta must proceed with caution
While Young has been somewhat vocal about his feelings during the negotiations, very little has been reported from Atlanta’s camp. While the lack of leaks is probably a good sign that the organization is in good shape internally, this situation is puzzling to say the least without understanding Atlanta’s side.
In a vacuum, Young has not played at a level that warrants the 4-year, $229 million max extension (an average annual salary of $57.5 million). The NBA does not exist in a vacuum, however. Young is one of the most potent offensive engines in the league today, singlehandedly dragging weak rosters to some semblance of success. While his resume is not studded with All-NBA appearances and playoff success, could this have changed if Atlanta had better supporting casts?
The apparent breakdown in negotiations makes even less sense when you consider that Atlanta has a roster handcrafted for Young. After signing Nickeil Alexander-Walker and trading for Kristaps Porzingis, the Hawks evidently are ready to compete. Without Young on the roster, the team will have to punt on the next few years while it looks for its star. They cannot tank either after trading the rights to their 2026 and 2027 first round picks to San Antonio.
The only logical position Atlanta could hold is that they are waiting for Young to prove himself this season. While we don’t know precisely what Young would need to achieve for Atlanta to feel confident in their decision to extend a max contract, the framework likely involves improving his efficiency and the team’s winning percentage.
Whatever the path to an extension is, Hawks fans can only hope this saga ends amicably.