Atlanta Hawks · Franchise era 6 of 6
The Trae Young era: the Atlanta Hawks story
Franchise era
2018–19—present
The Trae Young era
Atlanta Hawks
The story in one sentence
Young became the offense immediately and drove a fearless 2021 playoff run; the franchise has continued reshaping the cast around his creation.
Deep range and a surprise conference-finals run
Trae Young, John Collins and Jalen Johnson gave the era its recognizable core.
Its final meaning is still being written.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2018–19
What came before
Atlanta returned to the playoffs for ten straight seasons, culminating in a 60-win, four-All-Star team that reached the 2015 conference finals.
June 21, 2018
The draft-night swap that linked Luka and Trae forever
Dallas moved up for the prospect it believed could lead a franchise. Atlanta moved down two spots, secured its preferred point guard and added another first.
07Draft-rights swapJune 21, 2018DAL⇄ATLLuka–Trae draft swapAtlanta drafted Luka Dončić third and traded his rights to Dallas for the rights to Trae Young at No. 5 and a protected 2019 first.3 assets · 2 outcomes＋
The original receipt
Dallas Mavericks received
- • Draft rights to Luka Dončić · No. 3
Atlanta Hawks received
- • Draft rights to Trae Young · No. 5
- • Protected 2019 Dallas first
Both teams found an offensive centerpiece, ensuring every playoff run and accolade would reopen a trade debate that cannot be reduced to one simple winner.
Open full trade tree →2021
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Atlanta Hawks vs Philadelphia 76ers
2021
Eastern Conference Finals: Atlanta Hawks vs Milwaukee Bucks
2026
Eastern Conference First Round: Atlanta Hawks vs New York Knicks
Still unfolding
Where the story stands
This chapter remains active, so its final place in franchise history is still being written.
The core