The Atlanta Hawks were one of the most active teams of the offseason, adding the likes of Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard to supplement their rising young core led by superstar guard Trae Young. Young led the league in assists this past season, and is a nightly 25-10 threat, but he's found himself in trade rumors in recent years amid concerns regarding his viability as a franchise talent.
But it has become apparent in the Hawks' dealing this offseason that they still believe in Young's capability to lead a franchise, as long as he has the right talent around him. This tracks with the latest report from NBA insider Marc Stein, who mentioned that Atlanta is raring to take an extended look at the partnership between Young and budding star Jalen Johnson.
“Addendum from me: I'm told that the Hawks are eager to see more of Young alongside versatile swingman Jalen Johnson — who was limited to 36 games last season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury — as they make determinations about their big-picture future,” Stein wrote, via HoopsHype.
Johnson was in the middle of a big year before a shoulder injury cut his season short in January. Before his season-ending torn labrum, the Hawks forward was averaging 18.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game on 50/31/75 shooting splits — improving his game by leaps and bounds with each passing year.
With the 6'9″, highflying forward expanding his game, Young has the ideal running mate and pick-and-roll partner who's capable of dominating the paint as well as making plays off the bounce. And with the Hawks bringing Porzingis in, Johnson will have so much more space in the paint — paving the way for a possible 20-points per game season from the 23-year-old forward.
With the Eastern Conference being wide open, the Hawks' patience in building around Young could pay off in the form of a top-four seed in the playoffs in 2026.
Trae Young, Hawks look to seize opportunity in wide-open Eastern Conference
The Hawks front office clearly sense blood in the water, and the opportunity is there for them to be a top-three seed in a weaker East amid down seasons from the Jayson Tatum-less Boston Celtics and Tyrese Haliburton-less Indiana Pacers.
This is setting up to be the most exciting season for the Hawks since their run to the Conference Finals in 2021, and Young, armed with rangy defenders around him, has the opportunity to prove himself as a legitimate franchise talent worthy of having a team being built around his talents.
