Credits: BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hawks Face a Pivotal Offseason: What’s Next for Trae Young?

Credits: BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As the 2025 NBA Finals spotlights the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, the Atlanta Hawks are already deep in offseason planning after missing the playoff in the 2024-25 season. The Hawks have shaken up their front office, have added a promising young core highlighted by Jalen Johnson’s All-Star potential last year and Zaccharie Risacher’s flashes as a rookie offers a lot of hope for the future. But, the future of Trae Young remains the franchise’s main question. The four-time All-Star, now in year 3 of his five-year $215.1 million contract, is extension eligible, but the Hawks are still deciding on if they should double-down on their star or look for a blockbuster trade.

Sacramento is motivated to find a long-term solution at point guard and has shown interest in Darius Garland and Trae Young, per @GrantAfseth pic.twitter.com/acZU98vZJy
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 10, 2025

NBA Insider Zach Lowe has stirred debate and has advocated for the Hawks to keep Young rather than rush into a deal. With the season over, Atlanta must decide if Young is the cornerstone of their franchise or trade him away to reshape the roster. Could a new contract secure stability or will the Hawks risk repeating past mistakes by letting the situation linger? Let’s find out more.

Lowe’s Case for Keeping Young and the Contract Dilemma

On the Zach Lowe Show, Lowe pointed to Atlanta’s strengthened position, citing the Dejounte Murray trade return, Dyson Daniels’ emergence as a starter and a All-NBA defensive talent, and Johnson’s breakout season before his injury. The Hawks’ preferred lineup of Young, Daniels, Risacher, Johnson, and Okongwu played just 37 possessions together in 2024-25, posting a minus -34 net efficiency, per Cleaning the Glass. Despite the small sample size, Lowe sees potential and questions the trade market for Young, proposing a four-year $165 million extension. Significantly below the max $229 million Young is eligible for.

EVERY. TRAE. YOUNG. ASSIST. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/Swrkmqp1GR
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) June 8, 2025

Young’s 2024-25 performance wasn’t spectacular by any sorts. He lead the league in turnovers with 355, shot the lowest from inside on just 53 percent make, and is one of the biggest liabilities on defense. Many teams are desperate to hire a point guard like Young, like the Heat, the Magic, or the Nets, and Atlanta is risking a repeat of prolonged John Collins trade fiasco.

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.