The Atlanta Hawks have been aware that Trae Young wants to win and win big for some time, but the four-time All-Star guard’s desire is at a new level. The NBA Finals run through his home state of Oklahoma, with the Thunder and the Indiana Pacers battling for the championship.
For Young, it is a great moment for the area, but it is even more fuel for his fire.
“It’s even more motivating for me,” Young told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Lauren L. Williams ahead of Game 1 in comments published on June 5. “I want to win a championship bad. But the fact that it’s in my city and I’m just watching it now, if you thought I wanted it bad before, it’s even worse now.”
Young’s comments should come as no surprise. Remember, Young and the Hawks were two wins from the Finals in 2021.
He has made no secret that he is unsatisfied with not making it to the Finals during that run that ended in the Eastern Conference Finals. Moreover, Young has lamented the steps back the Hawks have taken in recent years.
“Whenever you’re in this position, you never feel like it’s enough,” Trae Young said on the “From the Point by Trae Young” podcast in June 2023. “You always feel like you want more – like there’s more out there. I mean obviously, I haven’t won everything. I haven’t won really anything, to be honest with you.
“I’ve gone into the Conference Finals, which is cool. But, in my eyes, if you don’t win the championship, that ain’t enough.”
Young vowed to “ATL” in April that his year was the last he would not be in the postseason.
Trae Young sees big picture while clock ticks on Hawks
Young had high hopes for the Hawks this past season, and they were alive for the No. 5 seed deep into the campaign. He remained optimistic even after their season ended in the Play-In Tournament for the second straight season in four consecutive appearances.
“I understand the space that we’re in right now. There’s probably two, really, teams that people in the – or maybe three – in the East that people really can see as contending teams. And for us, I don’t think we’re there yet, and I feel like that’s okay. I feel like here in a couple years we could be, or in the next year we could be,” Young told Chris Haynes on “The Haynes Briefs Podcast” in April.
“It’s just having the right mindset on this whole process and whole thing, and making sure we don’t lose track of the main side on just getting better this season.”
The Hawks won four more games than the 2023-24 season despite their in-season changes.
Young’s future remains far from settled. While trade speculation remains a constant, he is also extension-eligible this offseason. There is a player option on his current five-year, $215.1 million contract for 2026-27, adding another layer to a complex situation.
The Hawks’ lack of a top decision-maker, barring an announcement that general manager Onsi Saleh will fill that role, only adds to the uncertainty.
What is clear, though, is that their best player is ready to contend for titles. Are the Hawks?