As the Atlanta Hawks get set to take on the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference's 7-8 play-in game on Tuesday night, there's a real possibility that this will be the last postseason, for however long it lasts, that the core of this team remains in place.
Specifically, might Trae Young be in a different uniform sooner than later? According to The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor: "[The] Hawks' front office has the green light from ownership to do whatever it wants to with the roster, which includes considering trade opportunities involving All-Star point guard Trae Young."
More from O'Connor:
This should come as no real surprise considering what's transpired over the course of the season. In March, Hawks owner Tony Ressler told The Athletic's Jeff Schultz he's neither opening nor closing the door on any players being moved.
Months earlier, Shams Charania and Sam Amick reported on escalating tensions between Young and former head coach Nate McMillan, leading to team meetings and questions about Young's leadership. Players reportedly sided with the coach over their star player.
Things got so ugly that TNT's Chris Haynes reported that Young could request a trade this summer if the Hawks fail to make "inroads'' in the playoffs.
This is where we're at with many star players these days. They don't want to take any of the responsibility for when things don't go as planned. Instead of committing to more off-ball movement or actually playing some defense, things that would take Atlanta, a talented team, to an entirely different level, Young would, according to the Haynes report referenced, apparently rather just go somewhere else and let the narrative reflect that Atlanta couldn't provide him with the necessary ingredients to compete with the big boys.
To O'Connor's point, Atlanta might decide to move on from him whether Young wants to go or not. Young is an incredible offensive force, but there is little evidence that a team can truly compete with him as the best player or perhaps with him on the roster at all. He only wants to play on his offensive terms, and defenders who are targeted as often and easily as Young are almost impossible to compensate for in playoff settings.
You can point to Atlanta's 2021 Eastern Conference finals run as proof that Young can win, but we've seen enough over these last two years to reasonably conclude that was a fortunate-matchup fluke. The Knicks were an extremely flawed, limited 4-seed. The Sixers and Ben Simmons came apart at the seams in real time.
For the Hawks, it would be a bitter pill to swallow to trade Young. They traded Luka Doncic to get him, for crying out loud. But that was another regime. Neither Quin Snyder nor Landry Fields had anything to do with that decision. If they deem Young as a more valuable trade asset than a franchise player, then they'll trade him. And honestly, it might not be the worst move.
"trade" - Google News
April 11, 2023 at 09:49AM
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Trae Young trade rumors: Hawks front office has 'green light' to consider moving All-Star point guard - CBS Sports
"trade" - Google News
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