Trae Young’s tenure with the Hawks could be over
The Atlanta Hawks are rumored to be weighing their options ahead of the offseason, with a decision to be made regarding the future of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. The expectation is that one of those two guards will be traded during the summer.
According to Marc Stein, Atlanta is reportedly leaning toward moving on from Young, who it drafted with the fifth overall pick in the 2018 draft.
“There is a growing belief in many corners of the league that Atlanta’s preference would actually be shopping Young,” Stein reported via his SteinLine newsletter.
Atlanta has struggled to build a contending roster around Young. His offensive brilliance is undeniable. However, his limited defensive skill set has often left the Hawks susceptible when guarding in the half-court. The addition of Murray was supposed to offset Young’s limitations. Instead, it has created a dichotomy in the frontcourt.
Murray is the more complete player. He’s defensively sound, can be a playmaker and has proven capable of being a three-level scorer. He is the type of guard who would slot into a contending team and allow others to thrive. Young, on the other hand, is a star; he needs the ball in his hands, and the offense has to run through him.
It’s also worth noting that Atlanta would likely get a heftier return for Young’s services than it would Murray’s. There will undoubtedly be a string of teams that believe they can figure out how to maximize the All-Star’s talents while covering him on the defensive end. The Los Angeles Lakers have been rumored to be interested in potentially acquiring him in the coming months.
Whatever the Hawks decide to do, it’s clear their current roster needs retooling. If that means moving on from their franchise cornerstone, then that will likely be a difficult decision to make. Quin Snyder is a talented coach. If the Hawks give him a well-constructed roster, he will undoubtedly have them in the playoffs sooner rather than later.
