Although not unexpected, the 2025-26 season is officially a fork in the road for the partnership between Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks.
Since the 2018-19 season, it has been a given that a healthy Trae Young will be the starting point guard for the Atlanta Hawks. He's led them to the Eastern Conference Finals for one magical postseason run, but he's also been part of the reason why they've fell short in the other seasons with him at the helm.
While there was some talk over the possiblity of the Hawks deciding to go with Dejounte Murray over Trae Young in the wake of a disastrous 2023-24 season, it never seemed like Young was truly in danger of being moved. The summer of 2025-26 will be the first time that the relationship between Young and the Hawks is in legitimate danger of splintering. Per Fred Katz of the Athletic, Young will not sign an extension with the Hawks before the 2025-26 season begins. He could still sign a deal during the season, but it's somewhat rare for extensions of this magnitude to get done during the regular season. Trae Young won’t sign an extension with the Hawks before the start of the regular season, league sources tellFor some reference, the last maximum extension deal that got done during the regular season was the three-year, $186 million dollar supermax extension that Giannis Antetokounmpo signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in November of 2023. Young won't be signing a deal of that magnitude - he is eligible for a four-year, $229 million contract extension. However, it bears repeating that deals of this enormity rarely happen after the season has already started. It's much more common for teams to wait until the offseason to handle those extensions. That opens up a variety of possibilities for what happens next between Young and the Hawks. It is almost a guarantee that Young will still suit up for the Atlanta Hawks during the 2025-26 season. Barring a completely unexpected move, his salary of $46 million will be on Atlanta's cap sheet for 2025-26 because there are very few players that make enough money to be traded for him. After the season, all bets are off if there's no agreed-upon extension. In the summer, Young has a $49 million player option in 2026-27. He can decline the option and become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. Now, it is also possible that Young picks up the option and returns to the Hawks. That would delay the necessity to work out a long-term extension until the summer of 2027-28. It might also be helpful for Young to pick up the option if he wants to be traded from Atlanta. James Harden famously did this when he was on the Philadelphia 76ers and made the situation uncomfortable enough to eventually force his way to the Los Angeles Clippers. Would Young take a move out of the same playbook? It's unlikely, but certainly not impossible. The problem with not signing Young is two-fold. The obvious one is that the Hawks don't have a franchise player that can take the reins from him. Jalen Johnson is an incredibly promising player and could be an All-Star if he stays healthy, but there's still a large gap between his current abilities and Young's floor. They might be able to land one of Darryn Peterson or Mikel Brown by way of the first-round pick that they got in the Derik Queen trade, but there's no guarentee that the Pelicans are bad enough to get Atlanta within spitting distance of those two incredible guard prospects. Young is also central to the current lineup Atlanta has. Zaccharie Risacher, Dyson Daniels and Kristaps Porzingis are players that become maximized because of Young's incredible playmaking gravity. Removing him from the equation runs contrary to the moves that the Hawks have made in recent seasons. This isn't to say that Trae Young will definitely finish his career outside of Atlanta. However, the relationship between the Hawks and their star point guard is something that bears watching throughout the season. Another year of missing the playoffs or getting drummed out of the first round in embarrassing fashion could be the final nail in the coffin of the Trae Young era in Atlanta.Hawks vs Rockets: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineups For Tonight's Preseason MatchupRohan Raman has been covering the Atlanta Hawks for On SI since June 2024. He has been a contributor to Georgia Tech Athletics for On SI since May 2022 and enjoys providing thoughtful analysis of football, basketball and baseball at the collegiate and professional level.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Kristaps Porzingis Gives Update On Potential Contract Extension With AtlantaThe Atlanta Hawks season is one week away from beginning and the expectations are the highest they have been since the Hawks made the conference finals in 2021.
Read more »
Trae Young Next Team Odds: Kings' GambitCheck out the latest Trae Young next team odds, trade rumors, and potential landing spots as the Hawks star hints at a move.
Read more »
Latest Hawks Prediction Presents Potential Roster Issue For AtlantaThe Atlanta Hawks begin their season one week from today and it is a season that is starting with high expectations. Atlanta was active this offseason, bringing
Read more »
Hawks vs Rockets: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineups For TonightAfter a narrow win over the Miami Heat, the Hawks have a chance to avenge their loss in the preseason opener to Houston.
Read more »
What to Watch for in Houston Rockets vs Atlanta HawksRockets closes out their preseason stretch against the Hawks.
Read more »
Where to watch Rockets vs. Hawks (10/16/25) | FREE LIVE STREAM, Time, TV Channel for NBA preseason gameThe Houston Rockets face the Atlanta Hawks in an NBA preseason game on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025 (10/16/25) at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga.
Read more »