Trae Young's Return to Atlanta Date Set: High Stakes and New Beginnings

One of the standout moments that Atlanta Hawks fans will be looking forward to is when former Hawks superstar Trae Young makes his return to the city that drafted him. As of today, Young's time in Atlanta is split by most fans based on the success and lack thereof that the Hawks had as a team during his time with the team.

However, Young has maintained a firm stance that even though his time in Atlanta has come to an end, he still doesn't hold any grudge for how things ended. After his time came to an end in Atlanta, Young spoke out on The Pivot Podcast and gave his true feelings on the trade.

"That was a trade that I knew was gonna happen. I didn't come out of the gates playing well. I knew in the summertime, when we got the schedule, that the beginning part of the season is very tough. Like, if we don't come out really good with me and Porzingis, if we don't come out good, they're gonna trade us and rebuild.

So I kinda knew after I got hurt; I hurt my MCL. You could feel the energy around the building and me. It's like I've been in here seven years, seven and a half years; now it's my eighth year, and it's like it ain't really felt like this. So I kinda knew it was coming, my agent and my GM at the time were already talking at the time.

I wanted to leave a certain way. I didn't want to leave and make it public, and make it seem like I hated Atlanta, because I never will hate Atlanta; Atlanta will forever be my second home. So I just wanted to leave the right way, and so that wasn't surprising."

When does Trae Young return to Atlanta?

Jun 27, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) sits on the bench prior to the game against the Milwaukee Bucks during game three of the Eastern Conference Finals for the 2021 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Today, the NBA announced the official schedule for the upcoming 2026-2027 season, in which Young will return to Atlanta multiple times. As of now, Young and the Washington Wizards are scheduled to play in Atlanta on November 6th, which will also be an NBA Cup game.

All of the matchups that Young will have from here on out against Atlanta will be intriguing to watch. There will always be an added layer of interest whenever he comes back to Atlanta, as he will likely have some historic performances and a bunch of fans selling out State Farm Arena to see him.

As far as the matchup itself goes, it will likely be a gritty personal contest for both teams, as each has something to prove. For Young and the Wizards, this season is one that the organization and Young himself have high expectations for, and Young believes they can be the first seed in the Eastern Conference.

Also, Young will clearly be trying to send a message to many of his doubters and people within the Hawks organization who didn't believe he was worth keeping. For the Hawks, however, this will likely be another season of improvement and a strong showing, as they look to make a statement that they are potentially better without Young, similar to last season.

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