Trae Young thinks the Hawks have a chance of making big things next season: “The East is a lot more open than in previous seasons” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
After another disappointing campaign where their season ended in the play-in tournament, Trae Young is confident heading to the 2025-26 NBA season.
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Five seasons ago, the Atlanta Hawks looked like the future of the East when they made it all the way to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals. But they could not capitalize on their success and got back to square one, trying to become a playoff team again. Their star guard thinks they have a good chance to do that next season.
“With some of the injuries that happened, the East is a lot more open than it has even been in previous years. It’s definitely time for certain teams to take that step, and what we’ve done this offseason, and bringing the guys that we brought in, you can tell that we want to make some noise this year. That’s what we plan to do and that’s what’s going to happen,” said Young on his podcast.
No clear favorite in the East
While it’s easy to pinpoint who the favorites are out West, the Eastern Conference is a wide-open race because of the injuries to Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, which put expected contenders, the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers, in limbo.
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With them expected to take a hit, the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks have become the early betting favorites to win the East next season. The Orlando Magic are next, while the Hawks are right there with them at No.4 in the latest Las Vegas betting boards.
The Hawks lost Clint Capela, Larry Nance Jr., and Caris LeVert in free agency. Still, they’ve added Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard to their roster. All three are great outside shooters and will help space the floor, which is necessary in the modern game.
Meanwhile, Porzingis gives the Hawks a second star alongside Young. If he’s healthy, they’ll be a formidable tandem that should give the league’s other top duos a run for their money.
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Not everybody is too excited
But while Trae is excited about playing with Porzingis, former Hawks All-Star point guard, Jeff Teague wasn’t too excited about his former team’s biggest move of the summer.
According to Teague, Porzingis hasn’t proven that he can stay healthy since his rookie year. However, if he can somehow turn it around next season, he likes how KP is going to complement Young’s game.
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“I think now he’s [Young] going to have the opportunity for him to be like Tyrese Haliburton. He got that floor space and big. Now you really can’t guard Trae Young. With KP’s ability to space the floor, it’s going to be wide open for Trey,” Teague said on the “Club 520 Podcast.”
Shortly before he was traded, Porzingis revealed that he has been “feeling excellent” this offseason and is looking forward to representing his country in the upcoming Eurobasket. Although that update is a double-edged sword because there’s always the risk of getting hurt when he steps on a basketball court, it was refreshing to hear him say that about himself, especially after how sick he got during the recent playoffs.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.