NBA 101

Onsi Saleh Says Hawks’ Young Core’s Emergence Drove Trae Young Trade

Atlanta Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh explained the reasoning behind trading four-time All-Star Trae Young to the Washington Wizards in his first media availability since the deal. He emphasized the team’s philosophy of acting quickly on favorable trades and praised the emergence of young core players.

The trade sent Young to Washington for 34-year-old guard CJ McCollum and reserve forward Corey Kispert. It was widely viewed around the NBA as a salary dump to avoid Young’s $49 million player option for next season.

Saleh, who replaced Landry Fields in April, said the organization does not wait when opportunities arise.

“If there are deals to be done, why wait, is my philosophy,” Saleh said. “If you like something that makes a lot of sense, we’re going to do that. We just do what’s best for our organization. And, you know, I’m not one to really wait on anything like that.”

Saleh thanked Young for his contributions to the franchise. Young had been the face of the Hawks for several years before the trade, which leaked near the end of Atlanta’s win over New Orleans on Wednesday but did not become official until Friday.

“Trae has been so huge in our community,” Saleh said. “Him and (his wife) Shelby, what they’ve done, we just wish them the best. They’ve been phenomenal for our organization. (We’re) talking about a guy that’s been the face of our franchise for quite a long time. I really wish him the best, and he’s going to do some cool stuff over there, too.”

Removing Young’s $49 million contract from next season’s books gives the Hawks considerable offseason flexibility, including the possibility of being a cap-room team in 2026-27. Saleh acknowledged financial considerations played a role in the decision.

“When we go through all the calculus of making the deal, there’s elements of the financial flexibility, the optionality, which is huge for us, but also (liking) the players we’re getting back,” Saleh said. “And just having that optionality in this current cap environment, you guys are seeing it. You guys have seen the repercussions of it and the consequences if you’re not diligent in how you spend, in your cap space.”

Saleh expressed confidence in the players acquired from Washington while highlighting the depth they add to the rotation.

“But we like the trade, and what we did was something we really thought would help us now and in the future,” Saleh said. “The players coming back, I think they’re excellent fits with us and make a lot of sense for us, and we get deep in our rotation, too. I think you guys kind of saw a little bit of that last night (in a 124-111 win over the Golden State Warriors).”

The emergence of young stars Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker served as catalysts for the trade. Although Young had played in only 10 games due to an early-season knee injury, the core proved in his absence it could still thrive.

“We’ve learned a lot about our team this year,” Saleh said. “I think you guys have to, right? Watching our group and the evolution of the guys that we have out there and the youth movement that we’ve got going on as well. I think, again, the emergence of some players on our group, and how it all fits together was really key here. It was just the right move for us.”

Saleh praised Johnson’s development and emphasized the collective growth of multiple players rather than relying on a single star.

“Jalen’s game has evolved so much, and he’s doing some amazing things on the court. Most importantly, I think he’s making his teammates better as well,” he said. “And that’s how we kind of look at this as like as the group grows. It’s the group, it’s not simply just one player either, right? It’s Jalen, it’s Dyson (Daniels), it’s Onyeka (Okongwu), it’s Zacch (Risacher), it’s Nickeil. We got two guys, Nickeil and Jalen, who have just made tremendous leaps, and when Dyson’s on the ball, we’ve seen that leap as well. So, again, it just comes down to what we’re seeing and how this fits the entire group rather than one person.”

Saleh declined to comment on a possible extension for McCollum, whose contract expires after the season.

“We’ll see where that all goes as the season comes along, but CJ’s been awesome,” Saleh said. “He’s somebody that I think could fit here long term as well. I’m really, really excited about having him here. But yeah, I can’t really say anything about extension talks and negotiations.”