Why the Trae Young trade won’t change how he truly feels about the Hawks, fans

Trae Young he was the leader and the face Atlanta Hawks for eight years before it was changed to Washington Wizards in January. Even though things didn’t end the way he envisioned for the Hawks, Young people will never harbor bad feelings according to the franchise that gave him his start in the NBA.

Atlanta’s State Farm Arena was packed Tuesday night for Young’s first game since the trade. Although the All-Star point guard hasn’t officially taken the floor and has yet to play with the Wizards, it was still an emotional return for Young, especially since his love and appreciation because fans will never cease to exist.

Standing ovation in Atlanta for Ice Trae ❄❤ pic.tvitter.com/tRSrZmBkoK

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) February 25, 2026

“I just wanted the Hawks fans to know how much I love and appreciate them,” Young said before Tuesday night’s game, via Josh Robbins of the Athletics . “Being in the draft, obviously (draft night) trade… I still found a way to make a name for myself, make a name for my team and try to put this city on the map where people were talking about us. You can’t do that without the fans. The fans have shown us so much love.

“I have so much love for this city and these fans.”

Change is always a strange feeling, especially for professional athletes like Young, who have never played for another team before in their careers. This feeling of “coming home” is new for Young, but he’s not sad that his time with the Hawks is over. Instead, he continues to celebrate his accomplishments and hold Atlanta close to his heart.

After all, this is the city that gave him his start as a professional basketball player, and you can’t tell the story of his career without first talking about what he meant to the Hawks franchise.

“It was crazy; it was different,” Young said of his return to Atlanta. “Out of everything, I’ve just, to be honest, been trying to absorb everything since I’ve been back, just new experiences and things like that that I’m obviously not used to. It’s super unique and something I’ve been thinking about for the last few weeks.”

Between an emotional pre-game tribute video and showered with love from Hawks fans who filled the arena, Young’s return to Atlanta was certainly overwhelming. While he’d love to make an official return to the court against his former team, Young admitted it just wasn’t meant to be this time.

However, the star point guard made it clear that he will have many more chances to compete in Atlanta. Only this time, it will be as a member of the Wizards and not the face of the Hawks.