Reports: Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks finalize $207 million extension
Trae Young led the Hawks on their deepest playoff run in six seasons.
All-Star point guard Trae Young has agreed to a five-year, $207-million extension with the Atlanta Hawks, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Sarah K. Spence of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The team confirmed the extension on Friday.
: We have signed @TheTraeYoung to a contract extension!
Details ⤵️ https://t.co/w22ElQYElj
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) August 6, 2021
Atlanta Hawks All-Star G Trae Young has agreed to a five-year, $207 million designated rookie maximum extension, his agent Omar Wilkes of @KlutchSports tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 3, 2021
Trae Young agrees to max extension with Hawks https://t.co/FXhjxHU8uJ
— Atlanta Journal-Constitution (@ajc) August 3, 2021
Per Spence, the deal is worth $207 million if Young makes an All-NBA team next season. If not, the deal will be worth around $170 million. The contract will kick in for Young in the 2022-23 season and run through the 2026-27 season.
The maximum extension came as little surprise given Young’s rapid ascent to stardom in Atlanta. The fifth pick in the 2018 draft averaged 28.8 points and 9.5 assists per game in the 2021 playoffs, helping the Hawks reach their first Eastern Conference finals since 2015.
With Young turning in one dominant performance after another, Atlanta romped past the resurgent New York Knicks in the opening round, then stunned the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in the conference semifinals, winning Game 7 on the road.
The Hawks finally met their match against the Milwaukee Bucks. They were left to wonder how things might’ve turned out if Young had not been injured in a freak accident in Game 3 when he stepped on an official’s foot along the sideline and twisted his right ankle. Young missed the next two games with a bone bruise and, even though he was cleared to play Game 6, clearly wasn’t at his best. The charismatic point guard finished with just 14 points on 4-of-17 shooting.
Despite the setback, the future remains bring in Atlanta, where the 22-year-old Young serves as the cornerstone of a multi-year rebuild that is rapidly coming to fruition along with fellow first-round picks John Collins, Kevin Huerter, De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish. A restricted free agent, Collins is expected to receive interest in the open market, too.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
