Hawks star guard Trae Young announced on ESPN’s NBA Today (video link) that he has accepted the position of assistant GM for the Oklahoma Sooners basketball program, as Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays. Concurrently, Young announced that he would donate $1MM to the program to aid efforts to put together a championship team.
Young only played one year of college ball for the Sooners during the 2017/18 season but made a huge impact. He averaged 27.4 points and 8.7 assists per game, leading all Division I players in both categories that season. He then declared for the NBA draft and was selected fifth overall, which traded him and a future first-rounder to Atlanta for Luka Doncic.
He’ll now be involved in his former college program in a much different capacity.
“It’s exciting to be a part of this and being from Norman and playing there, obviously, it’s exciting times and I’m looking forward to being in this new role,” he said during his ESPN appearance.
The school issued a press release confirming Young’s administrative position and donation. According to the announcement, Young will “lend support in OU player personnel and strategic roster management planning, and will serve a critical role in helping build student-athletes’ brands and maximizing their potential.”
Young’s responsibilities will include assisting with the evaluation of high school and transfer portal prospects, as well as helping negotiate player contracts in accordance with NCAA and conference rules and the team’s revenue share budget. He will also assist with university fundraising initiatives to help grow support for OU’s men’s basketball program.
“This is a really big day and incredibly exciting,” Sooners head coach Porter Moser said. “First, just a huge thank-you to Trae for the $1 million gift to our program. What an unbelievably gracious offering. It will be put to effective use as we continue on our path toward sustained high-level success. We are extraordinarily grateful for the generous contribution.
“Second, Trae’s addition as assistant general manager is going to pay significant dividends for our program on multiple levels. He is a basketball junkie in so many ways,” Moser added. “He’s obviously one of the biggest and most recognizable on-court talents in the world, so he brings immediate credibility with younger players. But I can tell you that Trae also pays close attention to the national basketball landscape and is dialed in to all levels of the sport. His knowledge, coupled with his desire for our program to be the best it can be, will absolutely move us forward.”
Young is the second high-profile active NBA player to take a similar role at his former college. Stephen Curry was named the assistant GM for Davidson’s basketball programs three weeks ago.
Trae Young is maybe the biggest Curry wannabe in the league – and that’s a good thing, more players should aspire to be like the GOAT.
What’s Michael Jordan have to do with this???
Hahaha you’ve just had to go upset all the kids.
Has it ever occurred to you that the world doesn’t revolve around the Warriors?
He doesn’t really like the Warriors. His life revolves around Curry.
Before 2014, sure.
So, you are finally admitting that you hate the Warriors, by extension Steph Curry. You are only interested in the Championships to pump up your ego, and call everyone lovers. You admitted you had no interest in Curry before 2014. But, you know who did. Steve Kerr. He tried to trade for Curry at the draft. He felt Steph was the next Steve Nash. Of course, you ignored the Warriors.
How is this even a thing? Total sinecure. An insult to people who actually do jobs.
I hope you didn’t watch any NCAA Basketball games. If you did, you caused this. Why shouldn’t players get a piece of the revenue that they bring in? Slavery is illegal.
Didn’t realize they were being forced to play basketball or face death…..
OK. Labor exploitation.
I know we troll each other a lil man. Coming from an Australian, that means I like our interactions and I’m pretty sure you’re young yet will end up like minded when you’re my age. Labor exploitation? commonly known as slavery back in the day….isn’t going anywhere soon. The already rich, keep making more money. This is life. Learn how to get anywhere near said life. NBA is just a game we all watch, not play. It’s not real life and it really doesn’t matter. It is a better reality TV show than the Kardashians though.
You are a little confused. OU plays in the SEC, not the NBA. They are being paid a record amount for their March Madness appearance. You throw in TV contracts, apparel, etc., they are making good money. Until now, none of it went to the players. They were definitely not living a Kardashians lifestyle.
“Young’s responsibilities will include assisting with the evaluation of high school and transfer portal prospects, as well as helping negotiate player contracts in accordance with NCAA and conference rules and the team’s revenue share budget. He will also assist with university fundraising initiatives to help grow support for OU’s men’s basketball program.”
Reading is hard. I really don’t understand why this is so upsetting to you
Universities give degrees to people who don’t go to school there or complete any classes. Same vibe.
We all know “college sports” is only a thing in the USA, right? All other nations have government sporting institutions designed to develop and create pro athletes. Off the top of my head, Australia has no sports at University, but instead has an “Institute of Sports” that teenagers can apply to and if they are accepted they get a full ride including media training.
USA instead has this weird scam where academic universities make billions off student athletes and the athletes also have to get a degree that they don’t really ever do any work to do (unless they want to, the football players who know they aren’t going to go pro obviously do both, but the athlete-first ones do not).
TIL what sinecure means. Thanks!
This is silly
He’s unable to perform his current job to the level his paycheck would infer, so he’s gonna pick up a 2nd side job he can be lackluster at now?
Trae to the kids” Keep chucking up shots, defense isn’t important at all”!
Tbh it’s just impossible for him to be a good NBA defender. Too small and he doesn’t have elite speed or agility. He’s shifty with the ball, can pass and shoot so he sticks to strengths.
This is just for recruiting purposes.
Exactly show up to campus for a visit and now they can include a goodies bag with some tray young autographed OU schwag. Probably the kids will sell it on ebay. Not every college player makes the nba…sorry to be the bear of bad news
So, you are saying that you are a Bad News Bear? Wasn’t that a little league team that played at the Astrodome?
Baseball is for small children and the elderly