It’s been a week of big contract extensions in the NBA. Mikal Bridges, De’Aaron Fox, and, of course, Luka Doncic all penned new deals with their respective franchises. But one superstar’s future in the league, which remains up in the air, is quietly going unnoticed, and that is Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young.
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Young, who’s just 26 years old, has a potential supermax extension on the table. But Tony Ressler, the team’s owner, has yet to give the green light to pull the trigger.
Young added fuel to the fire when he tweeted in support of NFL star Micah Parsons, who is holding out for more money from the Dallas Cowboys. His words mirrored his situation with the Hawks, as he added, “Get what you deserve.” This has led many to believe that Young is frustrated with what’s happening.
Commenting on this situation was NBA insider Marc Spears on today’s ESPN broadcast. “Trae has done a lot to show that he’s invested in the Hawks,” stated Spears, who then broke down how Young has shown his dedication to Atlanta.
“Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kennard, he convinced them to sign with the Hawks. Instead of going with the Jordan thing this summer, he came to Summer League, and he got to meet with Bryson Graham, the new president,” he stated.
These are already strong points from Spears. Young is doing his part to push for offensive help, especially since the organization failed to give him any weapons after his magical 2021 NBA Playoff run, when he led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Spears wasn’t done there and revealed that, according to his sources, Trae is indeed wondering where his extension is. “At this point, you can tell by Trae’s tweet, and I saw him during the Finals, I think he’s disappointed that it hasn’t come, it hasn’t been offered.”
“So don’t be surprised if, at this point, he plays this out and sees what happens next summer. But to me, Trae has nothing to prove. He’s a star,” added Spears.
The famed analyst later compared the four-time All-Star to a beloved Hawks legend. “He’s the face. He’s their new Dominque Wilkins. He’s one of the best shooters in the league. I don’t think he has anything to prove, but there’s new sheriffs in town who want to figure out with this young group.”
Honestly, the Hawks letting Trae build up resentment would be a silly move at this point in the game. In a league that has never been more competitive, the East is wide open for the first time, especially after what happened to the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers.
The Hawks narrowly made it to the postseason last year but were bounced in the Play-In. If they let Trae slip through their fingers, the franchise might be in a tough spot for the foreseeable future unless they manage to bring in a major superstar as a replacement. And even if they do, is it worth chancing that when you already have, as Spears calls him, the face of your franchise?
As the summer inches closer to its end, Trae will continue to sit and wait for his phone to ring. Until then, he’ll ride out the deal he is currently on and perhaps have a major decision to make next year.
