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- Trae Young, Hawks will reportedly not come to an agreement on a contract extension before start of NBA season
Trae Young, Hawks will reportedly not come to an agreement on a contract extension before start of NBA season
Well, folks, grab your popcorn because the Atlanta Hawks and their star point guard Trae Young are officially playing a high-stakes game of contractual chicken, and according to a report from The Athletic, they’re not going to hammer out an extension before the season tips off. Let’s break this down like it’s a late-game, must-score possession.Trae Young, the 27-year-old maestro who’s been the heart and soul of this franchise, is heading into the final guaranteed year of his deal, set to pocket a cool $46 million this season. The plot thickens with a $49 million player option for the 2026-27 campaign—if he declines that, which feels increasingly likely given the current stalemate, he’ll hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent next summer, potentially leaving Atlanta high and dry without their franchise player.For context, the dude is currently eligible for a massive four-year, $229 million extension, the kind of supermax bag that’s supposed to lock in your cornerstone guys, but here we are, with both sides seemingly content to let this thing marinate. At Hawks media day last month, Young played it cooler than a clutch three-pointer, telling ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, 'I don't know [about] the word disappointment.I mean, maybe, for sure. I'm blessed, bro.I wasn't stressing about anything. If something happened, it happened.If it didn't, I still got time. ' That’s the kind of non-committal, team-first talk that sounds great in a presser but sends front-office execs into a cold sweat, especially when you consider the Hawks' recent track record—bounced in the play-in round two years running, which is basically the NBA’s version of purgatory.In response, GM Onsi Saleh went all-in this offseason, making a series of win-now moves that scream 'please stay, Trae!' by acquiring veterans like Kristaps Porziņģis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard to complement the young core of Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, and Onyeka Okongwu. But here’s the kicker: Porziņģis and Kennard can also bolt in free agency next summer, adding another layer of urgency to this season’s performance.And let’s not forget about Jalen Johnson, the 22-year-old dynamo who took home the NBA’s Most Improved Player award last season while leading the league in steals and earning All-Defensive honors—he’s extension-eligible until October 20th, and if no deal is reached, he’ll be a restricted free agent, putting even more pressure on Atlanta’s cap sheet. This whole situation feels like a replay of the Damian Lillard saga in Portland or even James Harden’s various exits, where a superstar’s patience wears thin amid organizational mediocrity.The Hawks are betting that a deep playoff run—or at least a solid step forward—will convince Young to put pen to paper, but if they stumble out of the gate, the trade rumors will start flying faster than a Trae Young logo three. It’s a risky gamble, one that could define the franchise’s trajectory for the next half-decade, and for Hawks fans, it’s gotta feel like watching a last-second shot hang in the air, wondering if it’s going to swish or clank off the rim.
JA
Jamie Wilson123k2 days ago
thanks for breaking this down so clearly, it really helped me understand the situation tbh this whole contract standoff is giving me major anxiety though
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MA
Marcus Thorne123k2 days ago
this feels like deja vu all over again smh just trade him now and get it over with
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