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NBA Free Agency: Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young Joins Giannis Antetokounmpo and Steph Curry in $200m+ Contract Club

Published 08/03/2021, 6:00 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

Trae Young came into the league as a #5 pick for the Mavericks. However, a trade swap saw him join the Hawks, and the youngster did not let his franchise down. Although he lost his contention for the Rookie of the Year award to Luka Doncic, the American showed early signs of greatness. 

His extraordinary sophomore year with the Hawks was an early sign of a soon-to-become face of the franchise. Although the Hawks recorded a pathetic 20-47 that stripped them of a place in the Orlando Bubble, Ice Trae made a tremendous stride. All the hard work from the young man is now reflecting on his record-setting contract extension numbers.

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Trae Young joined the league of legends

The Atlanta Hawks welcomed Ice Trae in 2018 on a four-year rookie deal. This meant that Trae was eligible for a rookie extension this year or he would have entered restricted free agency in the summer of 2022. However, the Hawks organization was quick to respond and offered him an unputdownable five-year $207 million contract extension. 

This iconic deal has made the former Oklahoma Sooners boy the sixth NBA player ever to sign a $200+ million deal. He now shares the stage with the greats in NBA Champions Steph Curry (GSW) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks). 

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Interestingly, Trae will be the fourth franchise player in the same list to ever sign one such deal. With this, the Atlanta fans can now have their favorite player representing them until he turns 27. 

Trae Young’s Father Told Celtics Executives to “Keep an Eye” on His Son

What are some terms & conditions of the contract developed by the Atlanta Hawks?

Well, around $170 million is guaranteed money as per the contract terms with close to a $37 million bonus if Trae enters the All-NBA Team. In 2020-21, the star point guard averaged 25.3 points. He bettered that number during his dream playoff run. If not for an unfortunate injury, chances were strong that he could’ve helped the Hawks defeat the ultimate champions. So his odds of making it into an All-NBA team are very high.

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Also, with the entry of Delon Wright in the Hawks, they will now have a rotation player to help Trae. All this certainly means that the villain of NY and Philly, Trae, can see some great future seasons with the Hawks.

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And as a matter of prediction, if Steph Curry signs his four-year $215 million deal, Trae will later have a new record to break. So what do you think, can Trae keep getting better and make the money worthwhile for the Hawks? Help us know in the comment box below.

Watch this story – Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young’s Larry Bird Styled Steal and Other Memorable NBA Playoff 2021 Moments

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Written by:

Sourabh Singh

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Sourabh Singh is an NBA sports analyst for EssentiallySports, who has been working with the site since May 2020. Prior to this, he functioned as Managing Editor at WittyFeed, followed by a stint at Decathlon. The Sports Management graduate leads an active lifestyle, veering to the mountains for off-trail adventures.
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