With the Atlanta Hawks having played themselves out of the national spotlight, the future of Trae Young remains a point of interest.
It seems any NBA pundit looking for a splashy trade at the position looks to target Young. Often, the proposed trades simply amount to a salary dump for Atlanta. The Hawks getting rid of a franchise player who has proven what he is capable of in the right situation has never made sense. Pushing away the one draw you have for a frustrated fan base instead of building around your star is unwise.
It seems this is the conclusion the Hawks have come to with the new general manager Onsi Saleh making it clear that Young is here to stay.
On Monday, Saleh told reporters that the Hawks were "locked in" on Young being a piece of the team's future. Atlanta's GM even made it a point to highlight the 26-year-old star as an unsung locker room leader, mentioning the big role Young played in his younger teammates' development.
Hawks GM Onsi Saleh says he’s “locked in” on Trae Young being a part of this team’s future. pic.twitter.com/VcW10qeYGS
— Caleb Johnson (@ATLjohnson18) June 23, 2025
Hawks Aren't Willing to Trade Star PG Trae Young
This is great news for Atlanta fans who were afraid the front office changes could signal a rebuild. Now is the time to attempt to find an elite second scorer and make a splashy move. There isn't one team in the Eastern Conference not facing clear concerns heading into next season. The conference is up for grabs and the Hawks will have every chance ot take advantage.
Keeping Young is an important piece of this, with the team already having one of the league's best shot creators. Even with the point guard's offensive numbers taking a dip, the ability to set up other shooters remains elite. Young needs the benefit of playing alongside another star who can help ease the pressure placed on the franchise star.
It is difficult for the undersized point guard to create a shot when, in crunch time, all defenders are focused on him. The defense will openly dare the rest of Atlanta's scoring options to make a play, focusing its complete attention on stopping Atlanta's star.
While keeping Young is a step in the right direction, we are far overdue to find the point guard a level of help the Hawks are yet to offer. As exciting as the current young core might be, the organization needs to be willing to sacrifice a piece or two in an effort to win now.
With this in mind, the Hawks are headed down the right path, but cannot be content simply keeping Trae. This is a team in need of splashy offseason moves to have a chance to return to prominence in a wide-open conference.