If you told an Atlanta Hawks fan after the 2018 NBA draft that Trae Young would average 25 points and 9.5 assists a game over his first six seasons, they’d be over the moon. Then if you told that same Hawks fan that Young would make the Eastern Conference Finals in just his third season, they’d be doing backflips. Finally, if you let them know that Trae Young is in trade rumors, and has had four coaches in his six seasons as a Hawk, they’d be confused.
After reports on Sunday that Trae Young will have surgery to repair a torn finger, the Hawks announced he’d be “reevaluated,” in four weeks. If Young returned with 10 games on March 25th, there’s no certainty that the 10th-seeded Hawks would want him to return. To understand if Young has played his last game as a Hawks, let’s first go back to how we got here with Young.
How We Got Here
Trae Young was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks and traded for Luka Doncic, who the Hawks drafted third. Likely not the best move for the Hawks considering the level of magic and skill Doncic possesses. It seems more likely that Doncic will win an MVP or make the finals in the next five years. Despite this, Young still finished second in Rookie of the Year voting and has made three All-Star teams.
As mentioned earlier, Young and the Hawks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021. That run, at the time, and now, seems a bit fluky. The Hawks were a part of the game that broke Ben Simmons. The Bucks, who won the finals, had to get by the Nets with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden in the second round. While the Hawks drew the soon-to-be-broken 76ers. Whatever any analysts or talking-head may say about that run, the fact remains the Hawks were still a young team heading into the 2021-2022 season with confidence.
That season ended with them finishing in the 8th seed, only four games above .500. After losing in the first round that season to the Miami Heat, the Hawks traded for All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray. Yes, that’s right, the big swing the Hawks took was to trade for a player who plays the same position as their best player. The hope was to improve the Hawks’s defense and specifically help Young who struggles on defense.
The Hawks Defense with Trae Young
Before trading for Murray, the Hawks had never finished with a defensive rating higher than 21st in the league. This season, they’re 30th in the league in defensive rating. Many attribute this to Trae Young. Blaming an entire team’s defensive rating on one player is wrong, however, other teams have been able to overcome sub-par defenders. Steph Curry isn’t an elite defender, yet the Warriors have been able to win titles. Luka Doncic isn’t an elite defender by any means, yet the Mavs had a defensive rating of 6th in 2021-2022.
So it is possible, but the Hawks haven’t been able to do that. Their team in theory has had good defenders in Clint Capela, Onyeka Okongwu, and De’Andre Hunter. Yet, they still haven’t gelled to become a decent defensive team. The Denver Nuggets won the title last year with a regular season defensive rating of 15. It’s not specifically down to Young. Head Coach Quin Synder is trying to change that narrative. However, if the Hawks never figure out their defense, they’ll never reach the conference finals again.
The Case to Keep Trae Young
Trae Young is still only 25 years old, and trading him now before his prime years would seem a waste. It’s never certain that rebuilding will get you a player as good as Trae Young. If you’re going to make a big trade, why not take a big swing on the next available star?
The Hawks have a plethora of tradable young talent this summer. If they can package one or two of their under-25 players, plus Murray, they could get a big fish. Who would that be? It’s hard to tell who will be unhappy with their current situation this summer or in a year from now.
The Case to Trade Trae Young
Those under-25 players I mentioned earlier, that’s probably the best reason to trade Trae Young and reset. Firing the head coach won’t work, as they’ve done that multiple times with Trae Young as their starting point guard. They’re no closer to a top-four seed than they were before they traded for Dejounte Murray. The Eastern Conference still has great teams whose core is still in there like the Celtics, Bucks, and Sixers.
Some believe in the narrative that Young couldn’t be traded because he meant too much to Atlanta. Is that true? In Young’s six seasons, only once has the Hawks ranked in the top 10 for attendance percentage.
I do not live in Atlanta or around that sports ecosystem so I’m unsure of how much Young means to that city, but trading him may be their best option if they want to truly contend down the road.
Featured Image: Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
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