Last week, Atlanta Hawks fans bid farewell to their longtime point guard Trae Young, who was traded to the Washington Wizards on Jan 9.
Young was acquired by the team on draft day 2018; he would go on to become a four-time NBA All-Star and lead the Hawks to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2021, where the team ultimately lost to the eventual champions, the Milwaukee Bucks. He was the team’s last All-Star player since Paul Millsap in 2017.
Known for his daring long-range three-point shots and clutch performances, Young garnered the nickname “Ice Trae,” which was popularized by local artist Quavo.
Young, in a farewell post posted on social media, acknowledged the special place Atlanta will always have for him.
“The city that raised me and taught me so much will always be a chapter in this story,” Young wrote.
He added he was “ecstatic” for the new opportunity in Washington, D.C.
“Change is often met with fear. But I see it as another opportunity,” Young wrote.
In recent seasons, some fans started having mixed feelings about the point guard, whom some thought had already peaked and needed to step aside to allow a new generation of players to reach their full potential. The team last made the playoffs in 2023, where they lost in the first round. In the following seasons, 2024 and 2025, the team fell short of making the playoffs.
With the backdrop of disappointing seasons and frustrated fans, the Hawks organization did not offer Young a contract extension heading into the 2025-2026 season, further fueling rumors of calls for trades.
The uncertainty of his long-term future with the team, amidst a number of injuries last season and this current season, ultimately led to tensions between the player and management, and both parties looking for ways to amicably part.
“It’s time to see what’s possible when the support is real, and the vision is clear. We move,” Young wrote as the final lines in his farewell post.
Despite a rocky finish to the relationship, an outpouring of thanks on social media from Hawks fans acknowledges Young’s contributions to some of the most exciting basketball the organization had seen in years. The Hawks posted a farewell video tribute to Young last week, which already has over 62,000 views.
Young has yet to get a definitive date for his debut with the Washington Wizards, still recovering from MCL and quad injuries in his right leg. Bleacher Report reports that Young will be reevaluated in mid-February, after the NBA All-Star break.
If Young does return around mid-February, it could mean an exciting new entry for both the Hawks and Young: the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards are set to face each other two games in a row in Atlanta, on Feb. 24 and 26, respectively.
