As the Atlanta Hawks get ready for the post-All-Star break sprint to the end of the regular season, Trae Young has set his expectations for the rest of the campaign.
For Young, even amid the Hawks’ injury challenges, reaching the postseason remains the goal.
“It’s nowhere below the playoffs. That’s got to be our focus,” Young said during the “From The Point” podcast episode that aired on February 19. “When we made these moves, and we got guys, obviously, from the Cavs – who were the No. 1 team at the time. And then you bring in T-Mann who’s – I don’t even think he’s ever not been in the playoffs. You got winners around you, so it’s like you got to win. You got to be in the playoffs, so that’s our main focus.”
The Hawks sit in the eighth seed entering play on February 19, one half-game back of the Orlando Magic for No. 7. They are 5.0 games out of the No. 4 seed and 5.5 ahead of No. 11, underscoring how precarious the situation is coming out of the break.
Moreover, this season could go a long way toward both Young and the Hawks deciding if they want to continue forward together.
So far, there has been few tangibles to suggest that anything else is the case.
Trae Young's upcoming contract situation looms large for Hawks
However, Young has a clear and stated desire to win and get back into the playoffs. The Hawks missed the postseason for the first time in three seasons in 2023-24, and they have been in the Play-In Tournament for three straight seasons.
That middling situation could be juxtaposed against Young’s looming contract extension eligibility as he heads into Year 4 of a five-year, $215.1 million contract.
He also has a $48.9 million player option for 2026-27 with a supermax extension possible.
“Keep an eye on contract negotiations between Trae Young and the Hawks. Young has two years left on his contract after this season and can be a free agent in 2026 if he declines his player option,” ESPN’s Bobby Marks wrote on February 19. ‘The four-time All-Star is eligible to sign a four-year, $229 million extension in the offseason.”
That is a potential increase of $14 million in average annual salary on the line for Young, who saw the player he was traded for on draft night – Luka Doncic – traded partly due to concerns about his upcoming contract situation.
Trae Young in lock-step with Hawks' plans for roster?
Young has made it clear that he is not trying to wait around for another rebuild, which could help explain some of the Hawks’ moves at the trade deadline.
Young admitted losing Bogdan Bogdanovic in a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers was strategic.
“What’s crazy is when you’re in the league, you've been in the league so many years, you play against so many guys. And you definitely know when you have your tough battles coming up, or some of the guys that guard you the best. And Bogi [Bogdan Bogdanovic] is one of my best friends, one of my best teammates I've ever had,” Young said.
“Only way I could give up somebody like him is we had to get somebody like him [Mann]. Somebody that was annoying to me, hated to go against. But also somebody that you knew if he was on your team, you was going to be better.”
It sure sounds like Young and the Hawks were close to in lock-step about the direction of the franchise this season.
Time will tell how well that holds up going forward, especially as the next bill comes due.