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‘He wants to…’ Trae Young’s true feelings revealed as Atlanta Hawks make moves to become contenders

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aaditya Krishnamurthy | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 9:00 AM ET

It appears Trae Young has a lot on his mind as the Atlanta Hawks are making a sincere push to build a championship roster.

The Atlanta Hawks made some big moves in the past few days. After a disappointing play-in tournament exit, the Hawks had to finally take a step back and see where they were going wrong.

Realizing they needed to make some notable changes, the Hawks didn’t waste any time. Right out of the gate, the Hawks traded for Celtics’ center Kristaps Porzingis in a move before the draft.

Then, the Hawks traded their #13 overall pick to the Pelicans, taking back the #23 pick and a valuable 2026 unprotected first-round pick.

But perhaps their best moves came in free agency. The Hawks were one of the winners on Day 1 of NBA free agency, signing Luke Kennard and pulling off a sign-and-trade for Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

These moves signal that the Atlanta Hawks are ready to compete for a championship again. However, does Trae Young agree with that assessment?

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Trae Young excited by Atlanta Hawks’ offseason moves

Marc Spears spoke about Trae Young’s reaction to the Atlanta Hawks’ latest offseason moves on ESPN. He noted that much like LeBron James and the Lakers, Young was keeping a close eye on the Hawks’ front office this week.

So far, he has liked the moves they’ve made and wants to continue to see them progress. Spears also mentioned that Young will likely sign his supermax contract extension with the Hawks this summer.

“I know one person who is happy, and that’s Trae Young. I talked to Trae at the beginning of the NBA Finals in Oklahoma City. He was keeping an eye on things…

“He has a big extension that he can sign this summer. But I talked to people close to him, and they say Trae is ecstatic. He got Porzingis, he got Nickeil, he wants to keep adding some shooting.

“He still has his young guys. Jalen Johnson is gonna get healthy. Trae is excited about this team. I’m sure he’ll get this extension. Now the Hawks are contenders in the East.”

Marc Spears:

"Trae is keeping an eye on things. I talked to people close to him, they say Trae is ecstatic. Trae is excited about this team…and now the Hawks, they're a contender in the east now" pic.twitter.com/Tl0rQA1Z8C
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) July 1, 2025

Atlanta Hawks could be set up for NBA championship push

With the way they’ve assembled their roster, the Hawks could put together a really strong starting five, one that could compete for an NBA championship.

Position	Player
Point Guard	Trae Young
Shooting Guard	Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Small Forward	Zaccharie Risacher
Power Forward	Dyson Daniels
Center	Kristaps Porzingis

If the Hawks can play their cards right, they will be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference along with the Orlando Magic and New York Knicks.

Of course, we are still months away from the start of the NBA season. In the time between, many things can happen that could affect the Hawks.

But right now, they are off to a strong start and can build one of the best rosters they’ve had in years.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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