Atlanta Hawks Preparing To Make Rising Star The Face of the Franchise

Since 2018, the Atlanta Hawks have built their franchise around Trae Young, and while he's a multi-time All-Star, the team just hasn't experienced sustained success in that time despite his immense talent. In 2025–26, Young is still productive, but the team has yet to extend him, leading many around the league to believe they are preparing to trade the star point guard.

One reason for that is the lack of success and the money that Young would demand, but the other is the talent on the rest of the roster. With the likes of Onyeka Okungwu, Dyson Daniels, and Jalen Johnson, the team believes the return for trading Young would help the roster more than keeping him, with the organization reportedly set to make Johnson the face of the franchise moving forward.

The 24-year-old has taken a major leap over the past two years, putting up career-high numbers of 24 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists per game this season, ranking him among the elite players in the NBA.

As of right now, the Hawks sit in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, but if they can get a good return for Young and pivot to building around Johnson, the ceiling gets much higher. Ultimately, Johnson's numbers make him a clear All-Star candidate, and at 24 years of age, if they can build around him and Daniels, this is a team that could be a yearly playoff threat in the Eastern Conference moving forward.