Speaking with reporters Monday at a news conference, Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh dispelled any speculation that Trae Young might be on the trade market, according to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Saleh spoke highly of the four-time All-Star and indicated that he’ll remain in his role as the team’s on-court leader.
“We’re locked in with Trae. We talked last year (about) next season,” Saleh said. “We’re just locked in the next season, ready to move forward and be the best team that we could possibly be moving forward. And I think a lot of his leadership from last season went probably unnoticed to the common eye. Like the way that he helped develop our young guys and make them better was significant. So I mean just continuing on with that and hopefully just making our team better.”
Young posted typically great numbers in his seventh season with Atlanta, averaging 24.2 PPG in 76 games, claiming his first assists title with 11.6 per night and recording .411/.340./.875 shooting splits. He has one year left on his contract at almost $46MM, along with a nearly $49MM player option for 2026/27.
Saleh also said that ownership has given him permission to go into the luxury tax, which might be necessary if the Hawks use a significant portion of the $25MM+ traded player exception they generated in last summer’s Dejounte Murray deal.
There’s more from Atlanta:
- The Hawks are parting with the 22nd pick in tonight’s draft as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade, but Saleh is confident he can find help with the remaining selection at No. 13, Williams adds in the same piece. Saleh listed “competitiveness, toughness, resilience and adaptability” as the traits he looks for in prospects and said he concentrates more on finding the best player available than positional fit. “Ways to impact winning, I think, are just always important,” Saleh said. “Like, there’s skill sets that we probably would love to have, but at the same time, if somebody’s really good at something that impacts winning on either end of the court. That’s ultimately what we’re looking for, and that fits within the guys we currently have on our team.”
- The Porzingis deal is a signal that the Hawks are ready to make a strong move in the depleted Eastern Conference, states John Hollinger of The Athletic. Hollinger views Porzingis as the best pick-and-pop partner that Young has ever teamed up with, as well as a dangerous three-point option when Young and Jalen Johnson are running various actions. He also provides elite rim protection and should help improve a defense that ranked 19th in efficiency this season.
- The addition of Porzingis provides lineup flexibility, Williams notes in a separate story. He can either start at power forward alongside Onyeka Okongwu or he can be the center with Zaccharie Risacher remaining in the starting lineup.
As long as Trae is a Hawk they will be an after thought in the playoffs…
And if Trae goes to any other team. What happens then?
That team gets stuck on thw treadmill of mediocrity and the Hawks can reset and grow…
They ain’t getting a good haul for him unless Nico Harrison is involved…
So Trae should just quit the league then @scarlet666?….If he’s that bad and makes every team bad he joins, then that makes sense correct?
Any team Trae is the lead scorer is not doing anything in the playoffs. Don’t be so sensitive, homer.
I’m not sensitive at all lol. It was a simple question… So any team Trae goes to will suck?
How far do you have to go in the playoffs to not be an afterthought? They did the the eventual champion Bucks to six in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021
Never understood the narrative behind Young being a great player. Even this article calling a year where his FG% sits outside the top 100 in the league, is a “typical great season.” You are correct, as long as the Hawks buy into this garbage, they will be irrelevant.
So true…
Empty calories type player… Dlo Russell with more hype…
They both hunt assists outside of the flow of the game and are inefficient scorers…
This Porzingis trade reminds me of the move to bring in Danilo Gallinari. Gallo was great in the pick&pop game & KP will be even better. When Gallo came everyone just assumed he would start over John Collins & that made zero sense to me. Obv JC was our starter & Gallo was a great 6th man. Same thing with KP & Onyeka. Onyeka should clearly remain starting for us. I could see KP starting alongside him but makes way more sense to bring the Latvian off the bench. This should help keep him healthier & playing less minutes. It also gives us a really nice 2nd unit with KP, Caris, Vit coming off the bench. Crystal clear upgrade over Niang for sure… link to m.youtube.com
Okongwu should be starting. However, Porzingis might force the coach to start him as the season unfolds.
But I’m not sure Trae will enjoy playing with Porzingis, at least in some aspects.
KP is awesome, and I can imagine a fit with Trae…but I am having trouble understanding what Atlanta’s front office might be seeing in KP, Okumgwu, and Risacher.