After becoming a breakout star in the playoffs, Trae Young is now being paid like one.
Young and the Atlanta Hawks agreed to a five-year, $207 million supermax extension, according to multiple reports.
The 22-year-old is fresh off of leading the Hawks to the Eastern Conference finals, but they fell up short — losing to the eventual champions the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. Young exploded in that stretch by averaging 28.8 points and 9.5 assists per game.
Young’s career got off to an interesting start when he was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 5 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. However, he was quickly traded to the Hawks — who drafted Luka Doncic. Now, the two are amongst the best young players in the NBA.
The 2020 All-Star was snubbed this season. Young averaged 25.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and a career-high 9.4 assists. He also led the Hawks to a 41-31 record and the No. 5 seed in the playoffs this season. Young’s play led him to become a villain to New York Knicks fans as the Hawks beat their team 4-1 in a first-round series, including a game-winning shot in Game 1.
Now that the Hawks locked up Young, they can move their focus on pressing free agent needs. They already offered John Collins a qualifying offer, making him a free agent — they can match any offer he signs — but they need to improve the roster around Young. They brought back forward Solomon Hill on a one-year deal, according to ESPN.