Rumors will fly, but Trae Young reportedly likely returns to Hawks next season

Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks' season came to a disappointingly early end when the No. 8 seed dropped Play-In Tournament games to the Magic and Heat, leaving Atlanta out of the playoffs entirely. Atlanta's ownership reacted to that disappointment by firing GM Landry Fields and starting the search for a new head of basketball operations.

That change at the top will lead to a lot of speculation about Atlanta looking to move on from Young this summer, potentially trading him and pivoting to a retooling strategy around Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher, Dyson Daniels, and others.

Don't bet on it. While it's possible, multiple reports suggest the Hawks will bring Young back next season. Whether they work out a contract extension with him this offseason is another question. Here is what Marc Stein and Jake Fischer wrote at The Stein Line:

"Talk of potential Young trades has undeniably faded after his generally strong 2024-25 season and return to All-Star status. Which is in sharp contrast to the past few seasons that ended with no shortage of 'Trae Trade Talk'...

"Hawks personnel have likewise spoken often this season about Young's growth as a leader to the team's young wing men."

The reality is that even if the new lead executive in Atlanta wants to trade Young, his trade value around the league is not high, or at least not high enough to get the return the Hawks would seek. Young is perceived as a quality offensive player — he was an All-Star who averaged 24.2 points and 11.6 assists a game this season — but an inconsistent 3-point shooter and weak defender, and while he can raise the floor of a franchise, there is a ceiling on how good a team can be with him as its centerpiece. While some fans had tried to link him to San Antonio last summer, the Spurs made their move and traded for De'Aaron Fox.

Also, Young isn't looking to move on. Here is what NBA insider Chris Haynes had to say about Young and his future.

"He said he knew there was going to be speculation once the Hawks went to a younger core... So he's somebody who, again, just told me a week/a week and a half ago, that he's down with the process. He wants to see this Atlanta Hawks squad turn the corner and he wants to be a pivotal part in that."

The smart bet is that Young stays with the Hawks next season, but they won't offer him an extension unless he's willing to take a very team-friendly (and tradable) offer. Young would be a free agent in the summer of 2026.

However, it is all going to play out, nothing serious will happen until the Hawks hire their new head of basketball operations.