Trae Young trade rumors have been flying as of late. The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly open to discussions around him amid struggles in what was supposed to be a competitive season.
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Even though the team has grown increasingly explorative with its most expensive player, some believe this could all just be smoke and mirrors. One of those people is former three-time champion Stacey King.
In fact, King believes that the Hawks will not trade Young. Mostly because he knows that the ownership loves his game and what he brings to the table.
“Newsflash, the owner loves him. He’s not going anywhere,” King said on his Gimme The Hot Sauce podcast. “When the owner loves you, and the owner’s son loves you, Trae’s not going anywhere.”
There’s no question that the Hawks’ owner, Tony Ressler, has genuinely loved Young as a player over the past eight years he has been with the team. Young has also been a valuable marketing asset who has put fans in the stands. Not to mention, in the 2021 NBA playoffs, he brought them as far as the Eastern Conference Finals.
However, with other young players improving lately, Hawks fans have wondered if Young would be better off being used as a trade asset to acquire more resources.
“The problem right now is [that] other young players like Jalen Johnson have ascended. [Zaccharie] Risacher is much better than what he was. Kristaps Porzingis is there, but he’s been hurt,” King pointed out. “He’s still a player you would like to see how well he meshes with Trae Young. I think they’ve only played minimal games this year between the two of them.”
Young and Porzingis have played just three games together since teaming up this season. Young suffered an MCL sprain that kept him out for two months, while Porzingis has been dealing with an illness called POTS.
In theory, together on the court, they would make a great duo. But we just haven’t gotten to see much of it yet.
Meanwhile, Johnson is having an outstanding All-Star-like campaign so far. Averaging 24 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game, the do-it-all forward has turned into a nightly triple-double threat.
Johnson’s ascension is truly what’s brought on the Young trade talks. The feeling is that the Hawks should shift their focus to building the team around him.
At the same time, though, Young remains a phenomenal player. He has averaged double-digit assists per game for the last three seasons and has turned into one of the best passers in the NBA. This aspect of his game is what impresses King the most.
“I think over the last couple of years, he’s become a leader on that team. He’s always going to be up there in assists. He’s a willing passer… I think my biggest concern with him, just from an outsider looking in, is his shot selection. Especially when the game is on the line,” King shared.
Shot selection is certainly what Young has struggled with the most throughout his career. He’s never crossed 40% shooting from three-point range, and this year is down to a career low 30%. This would be okay if he weren’t shooting six threes per game. But he is attempting that much, and it has become detrimental to the team.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Hawks move on from Young this season. Especially if they continue to struggle, needy teams will come in with offers that may tempt them to trade him.
But with an expensive contract that he’s on the back end of, Atlanta may see it more valuable to keep Young and play out the rest of his deal. After all, he is an All-Star-level talent when healthy. It may be more worth it to keep him and see if they can compete in the weaker Eastern Conference rather than send themselves into a rebuild.
