The Atlanta Hawks season offered the same for Trae Young.
The Atlanta Hawks season is not officially over following the 120-90 play-in tournament defeat to the Orlando Magic, but the Whispers have already begun on Tray Young’s future within the franchise.
Young has been in Atlanta since 2018, suggesting that a change in the landscape may offer him a new opportunity for success.
Ever since he and Luka Donsic landed in Atlanta when they switched locations in one of the NBA’s biggest draft deals, Trae has since accepted that they are at the heart of the Hawks’ plans.
In 2020-21, the star-point guard enjoyed the biggest season of his career when he and the Hawks ran in an unlikely eventual run to the Eastern Conference Finals, but only lost to the ultimate champion, the Milwaukee Bucks.
Following a 30-point loss against magic, Young and the Hawks face elimination, nearly missing the NBA playoffs for the second year in a row.
Regardless of what they’re trying to unfold again for Young and the Hawks, Bill Simmons is intriguing if this will be the final run between the two.
“We’ve seen players hit this particular point, and it feels like a fork at the moment of the trail loading. He was ’18 draft, seven years (already in the NBA),” a sports expert told his The The Simmons podcast.
“I don’t know what you’ll get for him. Is it a JA (Morant) that’s the level of JA type for trade?
“Is Lamelo (Ball) too expensive? Are you trying to do Dejounte Murray, some picks, asset versions?
Young has been exposed to a lot of fraks and criticism throughout his time as a hawk. Kendrick Perkins boldly declared him the “most abandoned” player in the NBA.
Young’s talent and offensive caliber cannot be completely denied as one of the association’s finest floor generals. This season he averaged 24.2 points and led the league with 11.6 assists in 76 game playing games.
NBA analyst Kirk Goldsbury believes Young will undoubtedly attract a lot of attention throughout the offseason market this year.
“There could be a team out there that takes him a chance, like Portland or Sacramento, but I don’t know.
“What makes the Hawks really interesting is that they have this incredible defense waiting to be there on these wings alongside Resoccer, Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels and Oconwoo. They’re like a fleet of young athletes ready to shine.
“I believe he will be mentioned in many deals this summer.”