On Tuesday, Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young sat down with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks, discussing myriad topics related to his young but enthralling career.
Trae Young: Atlanta ‘Where I Wanna Be’
During the sit-down with Trae Young, Taylor Rooks broached a sensitive topic, seemingly to Young’s amusement. Asking the 3-time All-Star how he felt about being named in trade rumors, Young offered a curious but measured response:
“Some of the greatest players ever have been traded,” Young says. “So who am I to be just here mad or feeling unwanted or feeling a certain way? If you don’t want me, then okay. Someone else will.”
“I wanna win… if that’s in Atlanta, that’s where I wanna be.”@TheTraeYoung responds to hearing his name in trade rumors 👀
(via @taylorrooks) pic.twitter.com/DXhCBMrfHC
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 6, 2024
Asked if he’ll be with the Hawks next season, Young offers a “hopefully.”
“They’ve never won a championship in Atlanta,” Young explains. “Me getting drafted there felt like a match made in Heaven. This is something I wanna do. Like I can defeat the odds here…”
Showing a rare level of confidence as he expressed his desire to make NBA history with the Hawks, Young says that his “whole vision was to always be [in Atlanta].”
“…My whole goal is to win here, win championships, bring people here with me, and build this dynasty here.”
It’s a statement that’s sure to endear him to Atlanta’s loyal fan base. The comments also aren’t surprising. Young previously expressed his desire to remain with the Hawks during All-Star Weekend.
Nonetheless, this answer was more thought out. More nuanced. It was also more direct; Young’s message to the Hawks’ front office was clear.
Many of the trade rumors featuring Young are simply other teams— namely the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs —having interest in him. However, a couple have painted Atlanta as sellers. If the Hawks front office is indeed unsure of whether to keep Young or Dejounte Murray, the 25-year-old has let them know exactly where he stands on being traded.
The Trae Young Show
The Atlanta Hawks haven’t been at the center of this much drama in the history of their franchise. It’s almost like a sitcom. The Trae Young Show.
From the day Young was drafted, the soft-spoken 6-foot-1 floor general with the flyaway hair faced immense criticism.
Yet, it wasn’t because people believed he would be a bust. Selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 5 pick, Atlanta acquired Young in a draft night trade that led to EuroLeague sensation Luka Doncic playing near ranch houses instead of high-rises. Their destinies now intertwined, Young has been compared to the slightly more prodigious Doncic throughout his career.
Young has been spectacular though.
The Offensive Engine
Trae Young averaged 19.1 points per game as a rookie. Then he averaged 29.6 points per game the next season. Averaging 26.6 points per game in the four seasons since, he’s been nothing less than the Atlanta Hawks’ engine, capable of scoring from anywhere on the floor with his ball-handling and shooting ability.
He also shines as a flashy facilitator. Averaging over 8.0 assists per game every season of his career, there are few players who make a larger impact offensively. His showmanship makes him all the more of a joy to watch.
The Defensive Sieve
Yet, Trae Young’s porous perimeter defense was an eye-sore. The Atlanta Hawks’ weak link defensively, Young was and is routinely targeted by opponents. Truly, he’s played with more effort in the last two seasons. In fact, he’s averaging a career-high 1.4 points per game this season.
Nonetheless, his diminutive size often undermines his newfound desire to be a defensive force.
The Strange Fit
Trae Young’s strengths and weaknesses make him a problematic fit beside Dejounte Murray. To that point, though Young is the superior talent. However, the Atlanta Hawks surrendered a lot of assets in their trade for Murray. They don’t want to give him up for less than they paid.
Furthermore, Young’s approach has had a way of limiting the impact of his teammates. Because he’s an exceptional shot-creator and playmaker, the Hawks want the ball in his hands as much as possible. Yet, in Murray and De’Andre Hunter, Atlanta had a couple of other players who were at their best with the ball in their hands. Though not as potent as Young, they excelled at getting to their spots and knocking shots down.
The ‘Coach-Killer’
While there are questions about the on-court product, behind the scenes is where problems with Trae Young may truly lie.
Off the court, Young’s reputation has been tainted by the ‘coach-killer’ label. Two head coaches— Lloyd Pierce and Nate McMillan —have been fired since he became the face of the Atlanta Hawks. Both decisions are linked to issues between the coach and Young.
With his new coach, Young is attempting to dispel the notion that he’s difficult to coach though.
Teague and Shams talk briefly about the Hawks and Trae on the @club520podcast pic.twitter.com/ngdkiAw1rh
— Play In SZN (@1CE_TRAE) March 4, 2024
Making an appearance on former NBA guard Jeff Teague’s increasingly popular Club 520 podcast, The Athletic insider Shams Charania relays that the relationship between Young and Hawks head coach Quin Snyder “has been really good.”
Notably, Snyder reportedly implored the front office to keep Dejounte Murray around the trade deadline. In the context of Charania’s report, this could signal the coach’s desire to keep Atlanta’s star duo together. After all, the Hawks have seemed to have difficulty constructing a more talented backcourt than what they have in Murray and Young.
