Trae Young and the Hawks reportedly working together on a trade. Where could the four-time All-Star land? Could he be the starting point guard on a championship team? And should Atlanta pursue Anthony Davis, in whom it has reportedly expressed interest? Our writers weigh in.
What’s your reaction to Trae Young and the Hawks working on a trade?
Tom Haberstroh: It was time. The Hawks have clearly checked in with Young on the court, allowing 126.2 points per 100 possessions with Ice Trae on the court this season. That’s the highest rate for a starter in the league and an embarrassing number for an All-Star. With Jalen Johnson behind the wheel, Young’s defensive responsibilities became too much to handle.
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Steve Jones: I’m not surprised. Good intentions don’t always lead to great results and it was clear the Hawks had acquired a new wardrobe, taken the long way back and stopped talking to their franchise player about the future. It is time for both parties to move forward and focus on the future. I’m sure Young will look to remind the world of what he is capable of contributing in the future.
Trae Young’s time in Atlanta appears to be coming to an end. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
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Morten Stig Jensen: While I think Young has significant advantages, the fact is that those advantages have become much more theoretical than practical. He just doesn’t fit into the offensive fabric of a team, and we obviously know his defensive limitations. As such, the Hawks can surely find a better use for his upcoming $49 million salary, as they build around Johnson.
Ben Rohrbach: Not surprising. I’m sure the Hawks have been looking at the trade market for Trae Young for some time. If they did not do so, they failed in their duty. They have long been better defensively without Young, and now they have an offense that can service this defense without Young. Why not gauge interest from around the league to see if they can improve this edition of this team? The question then becomes whether they can get him something close to the same value.
Where would you like to see Trae Young land?
Rohrbach: The Minnesota Timberwolves? This is the only team that would have an array of defensemen – Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert – to create a championship-caliber team around Young. Of course, they would surely have to give up one of those salaries to make the math work on a Young deal, and that could tip the scales against Young’s suitability as a title contender. These are inherent problems with trading Young’s salary.
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Jones: I believe he is spiritually a wizard of Washington or a king of Sacramento.
Jensen: The Chicago Bulls? With Young insisting on being the main player, likely negating championship advantages in the process, we need to identify a team where that isn’t an issue. Hello, Chicago? The Bulls have the expiring contracts needed to make that happen, and Young’s presence would allow Josh Giddey to play his role. more natural position.
Haberstroh: On the waiver wire. This way we can take him to fun places. His contract — $46 million this season and a $49 million player option next season — makes any trade so difficult. Minnesota would be a great fit for Gobert, but the Wolves really can’t stretch their money unless Gobert is included. I just don’t like anywhere else.
Should the Hawks trade for Anthony Davis?
Jones: Absolutely not. If you didn’t think you could do it with Trae Young, what would make you believe you could do it with Anthony Davis? Build towards the future.
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Haberstroh: I wouldn’t do it. Stay away from Young, but continue with Young. I’d rather have Kristaps Porziņģis on an expiring $30.7 million contract and try to work out a reasonable deal in free agency than go after Davis, who will be looking for a max extension this offseason. Doubling AD at this stage of his career reeks of desperation.
Rohrbach: For what purpose? I don’t think Davis turns a Trae Young-less Hawks team into a championship contender, especially as an oft-injured big man aging into his 30s. His timeline doesn’t match Atlanta’s new version, which has Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher as exciting young wings. There is already a great and often injured player on the roster. Why not spend Porziņģis’ expiring salary more wisely in free agency this summer?
Jensen: Trading for a player who is soon to be 33, who is often injured, has lost a step athletically, and is owed $111 million after the end of this season is simply never a good idea, so that would be a definite no from me.
True or false: Trae Young can be the starting point guard on a championship team.
Jensen: That’s true, if he can adjust his game and come to the conclusion that he’s not the best player on the team. He should be better off the ball, fitting in more as a helper than the heliocentric player he is. Defensively, I’m not sure he can do anything, so it would make sense for this team to have elite defenders around him, and at least one true superstar running everything.
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Haberstroh: That’s true, only if Wemby is its center. It increasingly appears that deep playoff run in 2021 was an aberration. He presents so many problems defensively that he needs an all-time center to put out all the fires behind him. Elite passer. He’s a so-so shooter. Disastrous defender.
Rohrbach: This is true, to a certain extent. I don’t think a team that has Young as the high-usage engine of its offense can win a championship. Now, if you were to build a team of talented two-way players (like the Timberwolves) around Young, and he accepted his role as a secondary or tertiary option to a more well-rounded superstar, who’s to say that this version of the four-time All-Star point guard – an idealized point guard we’ve long awaited – couldn’t help a team win a title.
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Jones: Yes, that’s a possibility. He has scoring and playmaking abilities, and he commands attention in the pick-and-roll. With the right team, with the right defenders and the right balance, it could happen. Find a way to make it through your show and recover and hope that everything else pays off.
