Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young. Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Hawks were eliminated from the playoffs in six games after Thursday’s loss to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference first round, but Trae Young was in an optimistic mood after the defeat.

Young offered a ringing endorsement of coach Quin Snyder after Atlanta’s 128-120 loss to Boston, calling him “the future” and predicting that the two would be able to deliver an NBA title together.

“Quin is the future. I believe with him here, this city’s going to win a championship,” Young said. “It’s just about bringing in the right pieces for him, him obviously getting a full summer to bring in his people and training camp to put in what he wants to put in.”

That is a pretty big endorsement from Young, who has now played for three coaches in his five NBA seasons. Snyder developed an accomplished record with the Utah Jazz, albeit one without a title, and has not really had the chance to put his fingerprints on the Hawks. He went 13-15 in the regular season after taking over as coach.

For Young, the pairing with Snyder basically has to work. His name has popped up in trade rumors, and he has received an unwanted moniker from his peers, so big changes are possible if progress is not made.

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