In an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints, Atlanta Hawks All-Star Trae Young revealed championship goals in place for 2025-26. Ahead of his eighth season with the Hawks, Young believes it's the first time he's heading into a regular season with a team he thinks has the potential to reach the NBA Finals. He also recently addressed whether or not he feels he receives the credit he deserves as one of the premier point guards in the association.

With bigger fish fry this upcoming season, Young admits he isn't focused on the narrative surrounding his game, and would prefer to let his game change how he's perceived instead of addressing it head-on, he said, per the Club 520 podcast.

“I just think that’s why I’m not super loud when it comes to like boosting myself or something like that. I would rather let my game do the talking and let everybody else speak for me,” Young said. “So, it doesn’t matter if I’ve gotten the credit or not, I’d rather just live that way and hopefully it’s going to turn, it’s going to flip.”

Last season, Young’s 24.2 points per game and league-leading 11.6 assists per game, combined with a 34% shooting rate from three-point range, weren't enough to secure an All-Star Game spot; he was an injury replacement the last two seasons.

Trae Young says Hawks are ready to compete for a championship

Trae Young and current player on the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA stands on the sidelines prior to a game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Michigan Wolverines at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
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While Hawks All-Star Trae Young discussed a company that helped him prolong his career by avoiding a handful of ankle injuries, he revealed how impressed he is with the Hawks' front office. It's what's led to Young's belief that he has an opportunity to compete for a title.

“For me, it’s getting back to where I’ve been in the playoffs and further,” Young told ClutchPoints. “So, I’m trying to get to the Finals and compete for a championship; that’s my only goal.”

With a strong supporting cast around him, including the Hawks' offseason signings of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard, and trading with the Celtics for Kristaps Porzingis, Young believes the Hawks are talented enough to make a deep playoff run in 2025-26.

“You can finally say we’re trying to compete for something,” Young said. “Going into Year 8, you haven’t been able to look at my teams and been able to say that necessarily. So, I’m very glad that we have a team like that. We’ve added Nickeil [Alexander-Walker], we added Luke [Kennard], and Jalen [Johnson] being back, and obviously, [Kristaps] Porzingis. If we’re healthy, we’ll definitely be up there.”

The Hawks will open their preseason schedule against the Rockets on October 6.