Ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season, Trae Young agreed to a five-year, $207 million contract extension with the Atlanta Hawks that will keep him in A-Town until 2026. It doesn’t get much better than that for a 23-year-old superstar.
Or so he thought.
This week, Young was voted to the All-NBA Third Team for the first time in his short career. That’s fantastic news in and of itself, but the All-NBA selection also allows Young to tack on more than $35 million to his current contract. The Hawks point guard is now set to become one of the highest-paid players in the NBA, and he has 100 strangers to thank.
Trae Young is an All-NBA player for the first time
After a season in which Young scored 28.4 points and dished out a career-high 9.7 assists per game, the Hawks point guard was voted an All-NBA player for the first time in his career. Young was named to the All-NBA Third Team this week following the best and most efficient season of his four-year stint with the Hawks.
In 2021-22, Young notched career-highs in shooting percentage (46%), three-point shooting percentage (38.2%), and free-throw percentage (90.4%). He also led Atlanta in win shares (10.0), BPM (5.2), and VORP (4.8). The stellar season was enough to join Chris Paul, LeBron James, Pascal Siakam, and Karl Anthony-Towns on the Third Team.
Here’s how the rest of the All-NBA teams shook out:
First Team
- Devin Booker
- Luka Doncic
- Jayson Tatum
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Nikola Jokic
Second Team
- Ja Morant
- Stephen Curry
- Kevin Durant
- DeMar DeRozan
- Joel Embiid
Third Team
- Chris Paul
- Trae Young
- LeBron James
- Pascal Siakam
- Karl Anthony-Towns
Young can thank 100 strangers for his $35 million raise
Cracking the All-NBA team doesn’t just give you an impressive bullet point on your career resume. It also allows you to earn more money on future contracts. Because a global panel of 100 media members gave Young enough votes to earn third-team honors, his upcoming five-year contract will increase by a massive $35.4 million.
Here’s how the new contract compares to the old in terms of yearly salary:
| Season | Original salary | New Salary | |
| 2022-23 | $30.5 million | $36.6 million | |
| 2023-24 | $32.94 million | $39.53 million | |
| 2024-25 | $35.38 million | $42.46 million | |
| 2025-26 | $37.82 million | $45.38 million | |
| 2026-27 | $40.26 million | $48.31 million |
Young will now earn nearly $50 million in 2025-26 thanks to his new All-NBA designation. Talk about a life-changing raise.
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