Why The Atlanta Hawks Do The Deal
Here’s an unpleasant reality that most Hawks fans would rather not face: Trae Young is a difficult player to build an NBA team around.
Yes, he’s prodigiously talented. Young is one of the best playmakers in the entire NBA. He’s also a dreadful defensive player. In fact, the Hawks had to acquire Dejounte Murray in an effort to compensate for his porous defense, in spite of his poor off-ball play.
So far, the results have been mixed. The Hawks are 8-5, but they’re trending downward. Moreover, this offense often devolves into a “your turn, my turn” dynamic between Young and Murray. That’s probably because they’re both primarily on-ball players.
This deal offers the Hawks a clean slate. They’re landing four unprotected first-round picks, a pair of promising young players in Giddey and Dieng, and a proven wing defender in Dort.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks & Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
It won’t make them better this season, but it could give them an opportunity to rebuild this team around a more complete player.
Of course, we’ve just given you the reasons why the Hawks could trade Young. Why would the Thunder acquire such a player?
