Media day was filled with many positive takeaways for the Atlanta Hawks after an impressive 2025 free agency period. All of the new players received a warm welcome as the team came together for the first time since their elimination in the Play-In Tournament last spring.
One of the biggest storylines heading into the 2025-26 season is their new roster and how it will complement Trae Young’s playmaking ability. The four-time All-Star has already proven himself as the best passer in the world, but now he has a chance to dispel any negative narratives about his character.
Young began his eighth Media Day as a Hawk by discussing his efficiency issues from last season. It was the main focus of his conversations with Head Coach Quin Snyder, and Young acknowledged that it is the key to reaching an even higher level next season, saying “I think I was the first one to bring up efficiency in our conversation, just because that's what I wanna do. As high he wants to set the bar for me, I wanna set it even higher.”
Young actively looking to improve his game without requiring pressure from Snyder is yet another sign that he has made significant strides as a leader within the organization. Young continued, “For me, I’m excited about this team, the leadership part, taking it one day at a time, obviously, we have a lot of new pieces and new guys on our team that can bring a new kind of experience.”
It’s the perfect moment for a new era of Atlanta Basketball, following a dynamic paradigm shift in the Eastern Conference. His situational awareness is one of his most powerful characteristics as one of the NBA’s top point guards, and Trae has shown a desire to lead his new ensemble to victory.
“Being the leader that I need to be as far as that we’re still a young team, I think we’re one of the top three or five youngest teams in the league,” Young then addressed their youth when asked about Porzingis’ impact on their young locker room in a follow up question “When you’re a young team, it’s easy to get caught up in yourself and focus on yourself and get caught up in the next chapter for yourself. There's a lot of young teams and they’re in rebuilding mode and they’ll stay that way.”
Young faces a rare situation compared to most 27-year-olds in the NBA, and his leadership will be the most analyzed part of his game this upcoming season.
Has Trae Grown Enough To Lead A New Championship Contender?
The new front office has sent messages to Young and the public with their hesitation to pull the trigger on Young’s extension. His previous leaders in the front office thought he was worthy of the $207 million rookie-scale max in 2022, especially after the famed Eastern Conference Finals run the year prior.
Trae has only improved as a player since then, aside from a decrease in efficiency, which he has made his main focus to improve. Given his rise, many wonder why he hasn’t received a new contract yet, and from an outside perspective, it seems they want Young to prove he can lead such a roster to victory.
The media surely pulled no punches on Monday afternoon and asked if he was disappointed that they couldn’t come to an agreement, to which he replied:
“Disappointed? Um," Young said, then paused. He continued, "I don’t know if that’s the word, I mean maybe for sure, I mean for me, I’m just so focused, I’m more happy about the team we got going into the season, for me? I’m blessed. I wasn’t stressing about anything. If it happened, it; if it didn’t. I mean, I still got time, and obviously, everyone knows my situation is going into the future.”
It’s clear that he felt slighted by the front office, but the reality is that Young has demonstrated tremendous growth. His response demonstrated discipline and an unselfish attitude. He has maintained this humble demeanor for a long time, most notably after becoming a young father to two children.
He earned praise for skipping the Jordan Brand event in Athens, Greece, to support his teammates in the NBA 2k26 Summer League. It was one of many actions from Young demonstrating his newly amplified leadership role.
Now with the pivotal season on the horizon, he has 82 games to show why he is the right leader for the new era of the Atlanta Hawks.