Kendrick Perkins made a bold claim about Trae Young, and he is engaged in a contract saga with the Atlanta Hawks.
Young has been one of the NBA’s best talents in the past half-decade. He’s a four-time NBA All-Star and led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.
It was recently reported that he was disappointed not to receive a contract extension from the Hawks this offseason. That could lead to Young leaving Atlanta in 2026 as one of the most sought-after free agents in the NBA.
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
NBA analyst Perkins said that the Hawks would be foolish to let Young walk, and he made a shocking claim about the star guard.
Kendrick Perkins says Trae Young is on a Hall of Fame trajectory
Perkins said that the Hawks should pay Young, as they won’t be able to replace him with anyone of the same calibre. He added that Young was having a Hall-of-Fame career thus far.
He said on NBA Today, “What else is out there that you’re going to get, as far as being an upgrade for Trae Young? He’s averaging 25 for his career. One could argue he’s having a Hall of Fame-type career when you look at the numbers.”
Young, one of the league’s elite playmakers, led the NBA in assists last season. He’s shown he can take his team deep into the playoffs, and this season could be his best chance to make the Finals. If he does that, he has a strong case.
Perkins continued, “Now you actually have the pieces around him that complement Trae Young: Jalen Johnson, whom I’m very high on. You have pesky wing defenders. You go and get Alexander-Walker, who can provide scoring off the bench or in the starting lineup.
“You get Luke Kennard, who is a lockdown shooter, and you look at what Trae brings to the table: he makes everybody around him better. He’s going to get his 25 and is getting about 10 to 11 assists a night. What else are you going to go out there and get at that position?”
The Eastern Conference is wide open this season. Jayson Tatum’s injury means the Boston Celtics are out of contention. The same goes for the NBA finalist Indiana Pacers, with Tyrese Haliburton out for the year.
The Philadelphia 76ers have an injury crisis once again, and the Milwaukee Bucks struggle to build a championship roster for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who considered leaving.
The door is open for Young to run through, and that would only increase his leverage in this negotiation. However, a former league executive said he expects this saga to play out for a while.
Bobby Marks says Trae Young’s contract negotiations will be a slow burn
Former NBA executive Bobby Marks reported that both Young and the Hawks aren’t willing to come to terms any time soon. He said that Young thinks his value will increase this season in a wide-open East.
Marks said, “From Trae Young’s perspective, you’re looking at this Atlanta team that’s projected to finish fourth per ESPN bet in the Eastern Conference.
“And you’re saying, ‘Wait a minute, I’m looking at the market. We’ve got potentially 10 teams. We’ve got a third of next year’s teams that have cap space here. Am I willing to commit long term if I’m not liking where the price is right now?’
“So I think this is going to be a slow play as far as where both sides are going to go.”
Meanwhile, Atlanta wants to see how this season plays out with Young before offering him a sizeable deal.
Marks continued, “I do think there’s a middle ground as far as reaching that commitment here, but I do think from Atlanta’s perspective, you’re looking, ‘Wait a minute, let’s see how this roster fits before we’re willing to commit long term to Trae Young.’”
This will likely be decided on the court. If Young leads the Hawks on a deep run, and potentially the NBA Finals, everyone is happy. The team would have success, and Young would get paid. It would also help the Hall of Fame case made by Perkins.