Trae Young woke up a very rich man Tuesday morning. On the first day he became eligible (actually within the first few hours) for a max extension, the Hawks took care of their All-Star point guard, keeping him in Atlanta through his age-28 season.
Despite his relatively short stature (6’1”), Young has already emerged as one of the league’s top scorers, averaging 29.6 points per game (fourth in the NBA) during his breakout 2020, the most by a Hawk since Hall-of-Famer Dominique Wilkins erupted for 29.9 points per game in 1993. An Olympic snub, the former Oklahoma Sooner turned heads this spring with a monster postseason, posting averages of 28.8 points and 9.5 assists per game while leading Atlanta to only its second conference finals appearance in the last half-century.
There are flaws in Young’s game. He’s a complete and utter liability defensively (FiveThirtyEight.com rated him as the league’s second-worst defender among 250 qualified players) and is prone to shooting slumps. His high turnover rate (third-most turnovers per game in 2021) is also worth noting, though that’s also a byproduct of the ball-dominant Young having more opportunities than most. Young’s shooting range rivals that of Steph Curry, while his flair for the dramatic is second to none, making a habit of silencing hostile crowds by knocking down dagger threes from almost anywhere on the court. Still just 22, Young’s new five-year extension worth a guaranteed $172 million (attaining all-league status would bump that up to a cool $207 million) ensures he’ll be a foundation piece in Atlanta for years to come.
Monday, which kicked off the start of free agency, saw plenty of big spending across the league with Young, Curry ($215 million), Jimmy Butler ($184 million), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($172 million guaranteed) and Chris Paul ($120 million) among those cashing in.
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