Trae Young is all set to enter Year 4 of his five-year, $215 million contract extension.
Assuming Trae Young opts into the $48.9 million player option for the 2026-27 NBA season, the Atlanta Hawks star still has two years left on the deal.
Despite that, Young is reportedly frustrated with the Hawks for not offering him a new contract extension.
After all, Young has averaged 25.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game for the Hawks over the last seven seasons.
Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty ImagesTim MacMahon makes ‘murky’ admission about Trae Young’s future with the Atlanta Hawks
While Young has been advised to be patient with the Hawks, it feels like the 4x NBA All-Star has ignored that.
NBA analyst Tim MacMahon gave an unfortunate update to Hawks fans about Young’s future with the team on a recent episode of ‘The Hoops Collective’ podcast.
“The long-term outlook for Trae Young in Atlanta is murky at the minimum at this point. He has been the face of the Atlanta Hawks for seven years,” MacMahon said.
“He’s averaged 25 and 10, just led the league in assists. His offensive production has been elite. But there are question marks about whether this is going to be a long-term marriage,” he added.
The Hawks’ reluctance to offer Young a new deal could be an early sign of a potential breakup between the two sides.
Even after seven seasons, the Hawks reportedly want to see how Young plays with an injury-prone teammate before offering him a new deal.
Tim MacMahon understands Atlanta Hawks’ ‘cautious’ approach with Trae Young
Since Young’s arrival, the Hawks have only been to the playoffs three times. Among those runs, the 2021 NBA playoffs stand out.
After all, the Hawks made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.
“He had big-time playoff success. The man took a bow on the floor at Madison Square Garden, but that one run to the Eastern Conference Finals is the only playoff success they’ve had,” MacMahon continued.
MacMahon concluded, stating: “I get taking a cautious approach to committing to Trae Young as a maximum-salaried face of a franchise if you’re trying to put together a contender.”
With the Hawks making several additions to the roster ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season, the plan seems to test whether Young can lead the team to a deep playoff run.
If he fails, it makes sense to part ways with the guard rather than offering another massive contract extension.