Highlights The Atlanta Hawks selected Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, but Trae Young’s future with the team is uncertain.
Young’s lack of defense and the difficulty of building a roster around him may hinder the Hawks’ championship chances.
Trading Young may not be in the Hawks’ best interest, however, as his trade value is currently at its lowest.
The Atlanta Hawks have spent the entirety of this century pushing to get over the hump and compete for a title. With many renditions of the team coming and going, they have yet to find any stability and truly make their run for contention.
They found themselves with the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, where they selected Zaccharie Risacher out of France.
It is hard to tell which direction they will go in next, but much of it depends on the future of superstar guard Trae Young .
Young’s Current Depleted Trade Value
Trae may be just as much of a detriment to Atlanta as he is a benefit
Because of Young’s inability to play without the ball and his lack of size, it has been quite difficult for the Hawks to build a team around him.
He has gone through several coaches and teammates since arriving in Atlanta, but none have been able to break through. It is hard to say whether Young is at fault for all the Hawks’ shortcomings, but his role should not go unnoticed.
He has displayed little to no interest in playing defense, and year after year he finds himself among the bottom defenders in the league.
Trae Young Defensive Rating Last 3 Seasons Season DEF Rating Ranking 2021-22 114.9 58th 2022-23 114.6 69th 2023-24 119.1 80th
* Of all players with at least 50 GP and 30 MPG. Courtesy of NBA.com.
Coupling that with his lack of production off the ball, creating a roster around Young that’s capable of winning a championship has been very difficult.
But while Young certainly has his downsides as a player, he is still one of the more talented players in the league. There are not many players that are as efficient as Young at operating the pick-and-roll, making the right pass and finishing over bigger defenders.
With that being said, now may be the time for the Hawks to trade Young to a team better suited for his type of skills, but that very well may not be an option.
Now more than ever, Young’s trade value is at its lowest, and trading him may not be in the Hawks’ best interest. Whatever return they were to receive in a trade for Young would not compare to his worth to the team.
Former NBA Executive Bobby Marks has even suggested that the Hawks would be better off trading the other half of their backcourt duo, Dejounte Murray .
Though Murray is talented himself, he is nowhere near the type of offensive talent Young is, and with only a few years left on Murray’s deal, Young won’t fetch nearly as much of a return on the trade market.
With both options seemingly leaving them at a loss, the Hawks have a big decision to make in the next few months that may very well determine the future of their franchise — and the entire league.