Hawks Star Trae Young Posts Cryptic Message as NBA Draft Nears

Shortly after it was reported that the Los Angeles Lakers were hiring JJ Redick as their next head coach, Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young posted a very interesting message on social media.

Read more: Lakers to Hire JJ Redick as Next Head Coach

Young took to his X page to post one simple emoji — an hourglass. That emoji is used to symbolize time running out. Here's the post:

That post has gained instant traction on social media, and understandably so. Young has been rumored as a potential trade candidate since the regular season ended, and even more so since the Hawks shockingly lucked into the No. 1 overall pick in next week's draft.

More news: Hawks Reportedly Open to Trading Trae Young Following NBA Lottery Win

Following the lottery, in which the Hawks had just a three percent chance of landing the top pick, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported about the potential of a Young deal.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for Atlanta to start reshaping their roster," Wojnarowski said. "I think the possibility of trade talks including Trae Young this spring and into the summer are very real too. But that No. 1 overall pick for the Hawks gives them a chance to bring in an impact player if they decide to maybe go younger and start maybe rebuilding this group."

Young was part of one of the most influential draft-day trades in NBA history when the Dallas Mavericks traded a 2019 first-round pick to move up two spots and select Luka Doncic, leaving Young for the Hawks at No. 5. Since the trade, Young has emerged as one of the best young point guards in the NBA, making three All-Star teams and earning All-NBA 3rd Team honors in 2021-22.

The Hawks made a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021 and made two more postseason appearances in 2022 and 2023. The team even made a blockbuster deal with the San Antonio Spurs to acquire Dejounte Murray ahead of the 2022-23 season.

Unfortunately, the Young-Murray pairing hasn't panned out, and the Hawks endured their worst season in four years when they went 36-46 and missed the playoffs in 2024. After lucking into the No. 1 pick, the Hawks could look to somewhat start over and rebuild. They dangled Murray in trade talks at last year's deadline but didn't end up making a deal. Now Young, who just completed the second of a five-year, $215.2 million deal, could be shopped.

The NBA Draft begins on Wednesday, June 26, and the two-day event will conclude on Thursday. The Hawks have likely had tons of discussions since their season ended surrounding Young and the rest of their roster as they decide what to do with the No. 1 pick.

Young's post on Thursday could mean a deal is coming. It could mean he's growing frustrated with the waiting game. It could also mean absolutely nothing. But the Hawks will be one of the most talked about teams for the next week leading up to the draft, and Young could be one of the most talked about names all offseason long.