Trae Young enters the 2025-26 season in an interesting duality with the Atlanta Hawks.
He’s entering the fourth year of a five-year, $215 million contract and has not been offered the four-year, $229 million extension he was eligible for this offseason.
But he’s also surrounded by quite possibly the most talent-rich roster he’s had during his NBA career.
The four-time All-Star point guard is choosing to focus on the latter as the season nears.
“I don’t know (about) the word disappointment. I mean, maybe, for sure,” Young said Monday at Hawks media day when asked if he’s disappointed to not have signed a contract extension. “For me, I’m more happy about the team that we got going into this season. I’m blessed, bro. I wasn’t stressing about anything. If something happened, it happened. If it didn’t, I still got time.”
Young, 27, is coming off his seventh NBA season during which he led the league in assists with a career-best 11.6 per game. He averaged 24.2 points and 1.2 steals and finished fourth in voting for NBA Clutch Player of the Year.
The Hawks lost in the play-in tournament in each of the last two seasons. They’ve failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs since their stunning run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2021.
In an effort to break through that ceiling, Atlanta made some notable moves in Onsi Saleh’s first offseason as general manager after he was promoted from assistant GM in April when Landry Fields was fired.
The Hawks added forward Kristaps Porzingis (19.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, career-best 41.2 percent from 3-point range last season) in a trade with the Boston Celtics. They acquired guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists per game last season) from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a sign-and-trade transaction.
“I wanted to be in an area where I could contribute to winning,” Alexander-Walker said Monday. “Atlanta kind of ticked every box for me.”
The Hawks also signed free agent guard Luke Kennard, a 43.8 percent career 3-point shooter over eight NBA seasons, to further deepen their rotation. Pairing these additions and first-round pick Asa Newell with promising young returning pieces in Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher and Onyeka Okongwu has Atlanta being viewed as a trendy team in the Eastern Conference.
“I’m focused on this team. I’m focused on right now. I’m blessed. I got a great team going into the season, one that you can’t really say I’ve had (before),” Young said. “So I’m even more excited about that. Who knows what the future is for me? But right now, I’m here and I’m present like me and Coach (Quin Snyder) have been talking about. I’m ready to go.”
Young is set to earn $46 million this season and has a player option worth $48.9 million for the 2026-27 season.
–Field Level Media
