Hawks guard Trae Young has just one guaranteed year left on his contract after this season, with a player option for 2026/27. As he nears potential free agency, executives around the NBA are wondering whether Atlanta will be looking to extend Young this offseason or whether he might emerge as a trade candidate, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
As Scotto notes, Young has spoken about wanting to win a championship in Atlanta with head coach Quin Snyder, and the Hawks have an intriguing collection of young talent around him, including forward Jalen Johnson, defensive ace Dyson Daniels, and 2024’s No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher.
However, the Hawks have been a middle-of-the-pack team since making the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, compiling between 36 and 43 wins and failing to get out of the first round of the playoffs in each of the three years since then — this season, they’re on pace for 37 wins and another play-in spot. They also don’t control their own first-round picks in any of the next three drafts.
Additionally, Scotto writes, Hawks ownership will be looking to avoid surpassing the luxury tax threshold in 2025/26, which could affect their ability to re-sign free agents such as Clint Capela, Caris LeVert, and/or Larry Nance Jr. — or to bring in additional talent.
Atlanta did have talks with the Pelicans prior to this year’s trade deadline about forward Brandon Ingram, with Capela, Onyeka Okongwu, De’Andre Hunter, and Bogdan Bogdanovic among the names that came up in those multi-team discussions, Scotto reports. Ingram was ultimately sent to Toronto, with the Hawks sending Hunter to Cleveland and Bogdanovic to the Clippers.
Shortly after the trade deadline passed last month, NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link) referred to Young’s future in Atlanta as “murky,” while Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) wondered if the 26-year-old might request a trade this summer. Scotto doesn’t quite go that far, but says Young’s situation in Atlanta is one that executives around the league will be monitoring in the coming months.
Here’s more from Scotto on players to watch entering the 2025 offseason:
- Rival executives are curious about whether point guard LaMelo Ball is still at the forefront of the Hornets‘ long-term plans and will be keeping an eye on him this offseason, Scotto reports. Veteran forward Miles Bridges is another name to watch in Charlotte, since his contract has a declining salary structure that was meant to make it more trade-friendly, Scotto adds. It also remains to be seen whether the Hornets will put center Mark Williams back on the trade block after a deadline deal with the Lakers fell through due to medical concerns.
- RJ Barrett‘s name came up in the Ingram trade talks between the Raptors and Pelicans, but New Orleans didn’t view the forward as an ideal fit on their roster, according to Scotto, who suggests that Barrett could emerge as a trade candidate this summer with Toronto prioritizing Ingram, Scottie Barnes, and Gradey Dick. The former No. 3 overall pick is under contract for $57MM+ across two more years after this season.
- NBA executives widely expect Wizards forward Khris Middleton to pick up his $33.35MM player option for 2025/26, Scotto reports. If he does, he and guard Marcus Smart – who will have an expiring $21.59MM deal, will be trade candidates to monitor in Washington. The same goes for Richaun Holmes, though his expiring $13.28MM contract only features a small partial guarantee ($250K), so he’s probably more likely to be waived than traded.
Oh boy, Trae young trade “rumors” once more
Neither of those players will win anything meaningful. Though talented, Ball needs to be in the court and has too many little injuries/DNPs. Young is the John Wick of the NBA, all he does is shoot.
11.4 this year and 9.7 career assists per game says otherwise, but for him to ever win he does have to shoot less and have better options around him.
I’ll counter that. He’s in the top 20 in FG attempts per game and has the worst percentage at 40%, while sitting at 33% for threes, which is supposed to be his bread and butter coming into the NBA. Sprinkle in his zero percent D and I’d say he’s a detriment to any team.
His assist to turnover ratio is 2.4! He almost cancels himself out. I’m afraid to look at his +/- numbers…
Khris Middleton is picking up his $33.33M contract? Shocking! I was certain he’d opt out and sign for the league minimum with the Lakers.
Ball and Young two of the most inefficient scores in the nba. Both highly overrated, one way players.
Rj Barret is exactly where he belongs. Perfect fit for a streaky, underachieving team.
People are too down on Trae
If he wins every game rest of the season and goes on a 30 game win streak to start next year he will be officially over 500 as a pro with 7.25 yrs of service!
In more serious news if Hou cant land a real fish in the offseason flip this dude to them for Van Fleets expiring and whatever draft capital you can get if possible
I really like the side dishes on this team but when you hammer the turkey (this bad) nobodies remembering the Thanksgiving you hosted
Trae’s value is so hard to gauge, because his skills lay in the most extreme ends of the scale. He is a brilliant passer, but on the flipside he is a horrendous defender and turnover prone. He can put up points in bunches, but he’s also very inefficient in doing so.
Atlanta desperately needs another team to believe they can cover his defensive shortcomings, and make him a more consistent shooter. Otherwise, they’re in a bind – either overpay, or let him go for next to nothing. Personally, I’d rather let him go.
Trae is criminally underrated.
If anything he’s proven he isn’t good enough to lead a team to the finals, but he can consistently get them in the playoff chatter.
Compare him to Scottie Barnes who hasn’t done anything in Toronto in terms of leading his side and he’s had a lot more help.
He always gets compared to Luka who is a top 5 player and Trae just ain’t that guy he’s a solid top 25 tho and deserves more respect in the league.
Trae simply just isn’t a number 1 guy and needs more help. Just for example if he was traded to Minny for Randle, and a bunch of picks and could play with ANT McDaniels and Gobert he’d slot in as the second fiddle to ANT and they’d be one of the best teams in the league instantly
He is -52 wins under .500 currently rounding out his 7th year.
He has had a lot of talent around him year after year, he has had the team reconfigure the roster around him at least 3 (failed) times already
He is playing in the East where 1/3 of the teams have been tanking his whole career
Idk, to not be able to bat 500 in that time period/conference is concerning to me , to be at a -52 sounds off alarm bells. He has been the 1 constant over the last 7 years in ATL .
If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, must be a duck
I was with you on Trae until you brought up Barnes. Trae is underated but comparing him Barnes? Barnes is a fourth year player that was drafted as a project with a ton of upside. Heck the guy started all of 7 games in his lone season at Florida State. It was supposed to take a few seasons before he flourished. He’s never been in a leadership role until now. Van Vleet and Siakim had that role his first few seasons. He broke out at the end of last season and has continued to play well this season in spite of the Raptors trying to tank.