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Trae Young announces he accepted role as assistant GM of Oklahoma basketball

IMG_6598by:Nick Kosko•03/31/25•

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Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young is giving back to his alma mater, accepting a role as the assistant general manager at Oklahoma. The former Sooners’ basketball star is also making a $1 million donation to the program, as he announced on NBA Today.

Young is the second active player to take on a role like this. Steph Curry did the same with his alma mater, Davidson.

“I’m excited to announce that I’m accepting a role with OU basketball in being an assistant GM, as well as making a million dollar donation, to help kick start this whole thing,” Young said. “So it’s exciting to be a part of this, and being from Norman and playing there, obviously it’s exciting times. And I’m looking forward to being in this new role.”

With the ever changing landscape of college athletics, especially with the transfer portal and NIL, Young felt it was time to make a move like this. While the Hawks are trying to improve their NBA playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference, Young will balance both roles as player and administrator.

Trae Young adding assistant GM of Oklahoma to resume

“I think, obviously, today the game has changed, and with NIL in college basketball, the way it’s changed, it’s, I think, a perfect time for guys to be more involved with the schools that made them who they were, or help just kind of push them to be who they were,” Young said. “I know, for someone like Steph and me, I mean, we represent our schools off the court and in the locker rooms and talk trash all the time. So now to be able to represent even more is going to be even it’s going to be more special.”

A four-time NBA All-Star, Young was a superstar prior to the NBA, playing for Oklahoma. He was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, but was immediately traded to Atlanta for Luka Doncic.

With the Sooners, Young was the 2018 NCAA scoring champion, assists leader, First-Team All-Big 12, Big 12 Freshman of the Year and the Wayman Tisdale Award winner. A First-Team All-American, he was a can’t miss prospect.

Now, he’ll assist the program that helped mold him. The Sooners are coming off a 20-14 season under Porter Moser, making it to the NCAA Tournament this season.