Trae Young is one of the most polarizing players in the NBA. There is no debate about that. There is however always a debate among where Trae Young ranks among the NBA’s best players. He is one of the best offensive players in the league, leading the NBA in assists this past season, and has been one of the better scorers, though that has seen a dip. The way he is able to create offense for his team and get quality looks for others that share the court with him might be rivaled only by Nikola Jokic.
However, there are those that point out he is one of the most limited players in the NBA when it comes to the defensive end of the court and he is not the most efficient player in the league who happens to commit a lot of turnovers. While I would point out that only Jokic is asked to carry the kind of offensive load that Young does on a nightly basis, they are not unfair criticisms. The positives and the negatives that Young bring make him a tough player to rank, but this year’s crop of Eastern Conference stars is especially tough.
The Eastern Conference lost a lot of star power in the playoffs when Celtics forward Jayson Tatum went down with an injury, and then in game seven of the NBA Finals, Tyrese Haliburton did as well. Both players are expected to miss the season, and two of the conference’s best teams are certainly going to take a step back in 2025-2026. With Tatum and Haliburton out of the picture for the upcoming season, is Young a top ten player in the East? NBA.com’s Shaun Powell ranked the top ten players in the East for next season, and Young just made the cut at No. 10:
“He’s one of the NBA’s most gifted offensive players, and that’s not a stretch. As a scorer and passer, few (if any) have done it quite like Young in the 2020s. He has led the league in total assists three times, and his 11.6 apg led the NBA last season. He averaged 24.2 ppg in 2024-25 while serving as a consistent threat to pull up well beyond the arc. His shooting efficiency dropped last season (41.1% overall, 34% on 3-pointers), and he remains a notoriously leaky defender. To his credit, though, Young is at least trying harder to prevent being such a liability on that end of the floor.”
Nov 29, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) celebrates shot against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images / Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Here is who made up the top ten list:
1. Giannis Antetokoumpo- Bucks
2. Jalen Brunson- Knicks
3. Donovan Mitchell- Cavaliers
4. Paolo Banchero- Magic
5. Cade Cunningham- Pistons
6. Joel Embiid- 76ers
7. Evan Mobley- Cavaliers
8. Jaylen Brown-Celtics
9. Karl-Anthony Towns- Knicks
10. Trae Young- Hawks
Too high or too low?
I don’t think this is a disrespectful ranking or anything like that for Young. Antetokounmpo is the undisputed No. 1 player in the conference and Tatum would normally be the No. 2, but that is where the gap comes in.
This season could change this ranking for Young and he will get a chance to show exactly how much he impacts winning with the team that the Hawks have constructed this offseason. You can’t find too many analysts out there who cover the NBA who don’t like what the Hawks did this offseason.
After trading for Kristaps Porzingis and drafting Asa Newell, Atlanta reached a pair of huge free agent signings on the first day of the free agency period. The Hawks signed Wolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker to a four-year, $62 million deal in a sign and trade that sent a 2027 2nd-round pick (via CLE) to the Wolves. Then, the Hawks signed free agent guard Luke Kennard to a one-year, $11 million deal. Not only that, but they got an unprotected first-round pick from the New Orleans Pelicans in a draft-night trade. Given the massive injuries in the Eastern Conference next season, it seems that the Atlanta Hawks are going for it and making moves to put themselves in a position to contend.
This front office put more shooting and more defense around Young than he has ever had before. The expectations are that he will be able to lead the Hawks not only to the playoffs, but beyond. This season has a chance to be a narrative shifting season for one of the NBA’s premier point guards.