The Hawks are expected to begin discussions for a max deal with Trae Young after midnight Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Under NBA rules, that’s the earliest rookie extension deals can start to be negotiated. Teams can begin negotiations with free agents at 6 p.m. Monday and sign free agents at 12:01 p.m. Friday.
Young is eligible for a five-year, $168 million deal, though there are a few different ways the deal could be structured. The negotiations were first reported by The Athletic, which added that it would be structured for five years and $170 million, “with a supermax trigger that could push it to $201.5 million.”
Young receiving a huge offer from the Hawks is a long-expected and straightforward move. The 22-year-old has become the face of the franchise and led the team on a historic playoff run last season. He averaged 28.8 points and 9.5 assists per game in the postseason, helping Atlanta to two wins in the conference finals against Milwaukee, eventually only slowed down by a bone bruise in his right foot.
Credit: AJC
Young followed up a great rookie season in 2018-19 by becoming an All-Star starter in Year 2, averaging 29.6 points and 9.3 assists. With a better supporting cast around him and the Hawks’ roster finally built to win last season, Young’s scoring stats went down slightly, but he still averaged 25.3 points per game, with his assists up to 9.4.
Since drafting Young, he has been the cornerstone of the Hawks’ rebuild, a stage the team exited with last season’s success under coach Nate McMillan, who took over March 1.
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