Trae Young left the Hawks one final gift on his way out of Atlanta

Trae Young was a pivotal figure in signing Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who is perhaps on the best non-rookie scale contract in the league. Alexander-Walker signed a four-year, $60 million deal this offseason with the club after forging himself as one of the league’s great sixth men on the back-to-back Western Conference Finalist Minnesota Timberwolves.

The contract was universally praised as a great piece of business for the Atlanta Hawks – and this was before Alexander-Walker broke out as an offensive threat this season.

Every championship team has one player who vastly overperforms on their contract. Chet Holmgren brought a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber impact on the 2025 Thunder, yet made just $10.8 million last season. The year before, Derrick White had an elite two-way impact while on an average salary of $17.5 million. Without a player overperforming their contract by such a wide margin, teams are bound to be conquered in the playoffs.

Alexander-Walker is that guy in Atlanta. All that’s left is for Onsi Saleh to craft a team capable of a playoff run.

Alexander-Walker is a franchise-changing player

Nobody could’ve expected the offensive growth Alexander-Walker has showcased this year. He increased his created shot attempts by 72% from last year, where he has been surprisingly efficient. He’s been tasked with running the offense without Young, and he’s done a remarkable job setting the table for Atlanta’s complementary pieces. The advanced stats agree that the former Timberwolf made a massive improvement, leaping from 161st to 89th in offensive DARKO. 

Alexander-Walker’s rim pressure has been the most impressive aspect of his game this season. Like his cousin Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Hawks guard has absurdly long limbs that allow him to move in a beautifully disorganized way. He’ll take a massive stride while swinging the ball in a way that could only be a layup attempt. After getting the defense to bite, he takes yet another huge leap to get an uncontested layup, despite having a defender draped over him less than a second before.

Of course, NAW’s strongsuit is his defense. He’s in the top five percent of guards in impact on defensive shot quality and top 10% in offensive fouls drawn and field goals defended. He is simply everywhere on both ends of the floor.

When asked about Young’s departure, Alexander-Walker revealed, “He’s the reason why I’m here. He was active in [...] getting me to Atlanta.”

Trae Young, the NBA’s assist king this decade, dished one final lob to Hawks fans on his way out the door. How poetic.