Trae Young. Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

End of Trae Young era in Atlanta would cement what-if legacy

By Tim Josephs | Last updated 2/28/24

Pretty much every sports fan would love to have a do-over with his or her favorite team. There have been countless scenarios in which a decision that may have seemed fine or even good at the time ends up being a big mistake.

Right now, most Atlanta Hawks fans probably wish they could have a do-over with the 2018 NBA Draft. Picking Luka Doncic at No. 3 was a great move. What wasn’t so great, however, was deciding to trade him to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Trae Young, who was selected fifth.

There’s no denying that Young has been a terrific player for the Hawks. In his five-plus seasons, he has averaged over 26 points and nine assists per game. He’s been an All-Star three times and helped lead his team to the playoffs over the last three seasons, including a surprise trip to the conference finals in 2021.

While most teams would be thrilled with that kind of production, the problem is that the streetballer they gave up for Young is just plain better. While their career numbers are actually pretty similar, Doncic has improved every year. His 34.5 points per game this season are the best in the NBA. He also averages nearly nine rebounds, along with 9.6 assists. On top of that, he’s second in the league in made three-pointers, and his three-point percentage is way up this year.

To add insult to injury, when Dallas visited Atlanta earlier this year, Doncic did this:

Most important is the fact that the Hawks and Mavericks seem to be moving in opposite directions. Atlanta is mired in its worst season in years. Dallas, on the other hand, is having a resurgent year and could end up with a top playoff spot.

Things are even worse for the Hawks, as Young is expected to miss at least a month due to a ligament tear in his finger. Plus, there has been speculation all season that he may be on the trade block. NBA insider Marc Stein thinks there’s a real possibility that the team would keep Dejounte Murray and jettison Young, and both the Spurs and Lakers have been mentioned as potential trade partners.

Young has at least two years left on his contract after this season, so the Hawks may not have to make a decision for a while. But it’s pretty clear that if that draft had gone a different way, there probably wouldn’t be any decision to make with their star player, other than perhaps how long a contract extension should be.

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