Trae Young had clear star potential and showed it in the playoffs. It was up to the Atlanta Hawks to put the right team around him. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Last offseason, the Atlanta Hawks were at something of a crossroads.
The team knew it had a superstar in Trae Young. They knew they were likely to re-sign Young to a max extension. That kind of money was too much to pass up. Young signing what became a five-year, $207-million deal was always going to happen. Young could not get that money anywhere else.
But that knowledge and Young’s star power meant the clock was ticking.