Trae Young could become a free agent in 2026 as he and the Atlanta Hawks haven’t agreed to a contract extension. In the NBA’s current extension-friendly climate, it is rare for a franchise player to get so close to free agency as they typically either extend or are traded. Young is comfortable with his uncertain future.
“I think it’s going to be great. I’m not worried about it,” Young told ESPN when asked about entering the season without an extension. “As much as I wish it was, it’s not all in my hands and I can’t control everything. I just can only control the present. And I know if we win, everybody eats … I understand what winning can do.
“If certain things don’t go my way as far as injuries, health and stuff that I can’t control, that may be the man above telling me there’s another plan for me. I’m focused on making sure all my guys, Quin [Snyder] included, get taken care of and succeed.”
Young believes the Hawks are built in a way that will allow him to show he is more than his reputation.
“There’s a lot of misconceptions of me,” Young said. “They’ll get changed over time, and I truly believe that.
“And I feel like a lot of it will get changed this year.”
“The keyword for Trae is efficiency,” Snyder said. “I think what you are going to see is Trae having to feel the game in a way. … There’s games that’s going to mean scoring more. There’s games where he will be passing more. The constants will be him forcing pace, not just pushing the ball off the dribble but passing ahead. He was one of the best at passing ahead, if not the best.
“The other thing he has to do every night is be efficient defensively … One of the things we did talk about was me challenging him … He wants to get better every year.”
Young compared himself to Baker Mayfield, who also attended Oklahoma and had developed a certain reputation in the NFL before becoming an MVP candidate with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“People may get the wrong perception of us because of what you see on social media or what somebody may say about you,” Young said. “I understand Baker, when they say, he’s a hothead [or] he’s crazy. But then when you’re winning, now he’s a dawg. He’s competitive. The whole perspective changes just because you win. That’s my main focus. I just want to win.
“That’ll change all the narratives.”