Trae Young Already an All-Time Atlanta Hawk

Young’s talent was evident from the start

Before entering the NBA, Trae Young played one year at the University of Oklahoma.

While playing there, he averaged a conference-leading 27.4 points and 8.7 assists, along with 1.7 steals per game. However, in just his fifth game, he had a breakout moment.

On Nov. 26, 2017, Young recorded 43 points, four rebounds, seven assists, and two steals against Oregon. Following that game, many began comparing him to Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry.

The rest of Young’s time in Oklahoma was remarkable, as he had many great games. His best game was arguably when he scored a career-high 48 points in an overtime loss to Oklahoma State.

Young’s superior talents led Oklahoma to the NCAA March Madness Tournament. After losing to Rhode Island in the first round, Young forwent his remaining three years and entered the 2018 NBA Draft.

Young’s impressive transition to the league

The Dallas Mavericks drafted Young as the fifth overall pick. However, moments later, he was traded to the Hawks for the rights to Luka Doncic.

Young’s first year in the league was truly remarkable. While playing in all but one game, he averaged 19.1 points and a team-high 8.1 assists per game. At the end of the season, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team while finishing second behind Doncic for Rookie of the Year.

The 2019-20 season was arguably Young’s most productive one. He averaged a career-high 29.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 9.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He also had 11 games where he scored 40-plus points, including a then-career-high 50 points against the Miami Heat on Feb. 20. His efforts earned him his first career All-Star selection as a starter.

Ice Trae put Atlanta back on the map

For the next five years, Young gave the Hawks outstanding basketball.

During that run, he averaged 26.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 10.3 assists, and 1.1 steals. He earned two more All-Star selections in 2022 and 2024 and a spot on the All-NBA Third Team in 2022.

He established himself as a top point guard in a league of talented point guards. Since the 2018-19 campaign, Young has recorded 193 games of 20-plus points and 10-plus assists.

Young also made the Hawks a playoff team for the first time since the Paul Millsap days. In the 2020-21 season, he led Atlanta to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2015. Young averaged 28.8 points, 9.5 assists, and 1.3 steals during that playoff run.

Led by Young, the Hawks made the playoffs the next two years. Although they lost in the first round each time, Young averaged 22.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest.

No situation is picture perfect

Despite the achievements, Trae Young’s time with the Hawks wasn’t always full of glory.

While coached by Lloyd Pierce and Nate McMillan, he often bumped heads with them. When the Hawks fired Pierce in March 2021, reports stated that Young supported the decision. Due to these situations, Young was often labeled a “coach killer”.

Young has two more years left on his five-year contract, with a player option for the 2026-27 season. There is no telling what the future holds, but if his time in Atlanta does end before his contract, he has done more than enough to earn respect from the Hawks’ organization.