Trae Young has established himself in Atlanta rather well over the past 5-6 years but he’s also been the biggest reason why the head coaching turnover rate has been through the roof. With Quin Snyder at the helm now in Atlanta that seemed to at least quit down any chirping of Trae Young looking to exit Atlanta but with the re-signing of international guard Bogdan Bogdanovic recently that would get anyone who’s been following the Hawks closely over the past few years to at least raise an eye-brow and wonder if a bold move within the Hawks’ organization is on it’s way this summer. The 2 headed snake of Dejounte Murray and Trae Young proved to be rather formidable but being that the Hawks boast one of the worst front-courts the league has to offer they are practically spinning wheels in Atlanta with the room for contention in the Eastern Conference being very scarce. I expected John Collins to come out looking like Amare Stoudemire after Quin Snyder was hired but maybe it’s time we come to grips with the fact that John Collins might never become the perennial all-star they’ve been expecting for years in Atlanta. He whined about his role under former head coach Lloyd Pierce and the hiring of Nate McMillan never did much for him either; and now head coach Quin Snyder is no player’s coach who’s going to figure out what’s keeping John from thriving in Atlanta.
So the question is should the Hawks look to move on from Trae Young? Pains me to say this but I think they should because I just can’t make sense of the crowded back-court they have at the moment with Trae Young,Dejounte Murray,and Bogdan Bogdanovic unless Snyder has plans of starting Bogdan at small-forward, which yes it’s a position he’s physically capable of playing but he is best off at the shooting-guard position and one of Young and Murray is occupying that spot at the moment. It was groundbreaking to see Trae Young carry the Hawks on a run of a lifetime the 2020-2021 season just because the Hawks hadn’t really reached that level of success since when they last won 60 something games in the Eastern Conference the 2014-2015 season; but that roster never really possessed a star playing quite at the level Trae Young did in the playoffs that season. But ever since that epic run the Hawks have been in the doldrums and have had the makings of a team with absolutely no identity, just a bunch of young pieces such as John Collins,De’Andre Hunter,Onyeka Okongwu, and recently drafted AJ Griffin who are all trying to find their place within the team. Out of those 4 I just mentioned I’d probably keep two going into next season, AJ Griffin being one of them just because whenever he seems to get enough playing time he’s practically a lock to score in double figures and knock down at least 3-4 threes per contest.
Onyeka Okongwu would also be a keeper just because it’s always good to have someone on the team who can do the dirty work and also someone who willingly takes on the tougher assignments on defense. I’m all for keeping Trae Young but the Hawks need to find new settings for both John Collins and De’Andre Hunter. I mean how much longer are we going to sit around and wait for John Collins to prove to us the Hawks lucked up drafting him late in the first round? De’Andre Hunter gets an extension from the organization and I was expecting the kid to sprout into a taller and stronger Andre Iguodala which hasn’t been the case what so ever. The playoffs are on the horizon so maybe a breakout party is in the cards for Hunter but I wouldn’t bank on it; as the Hawks seem to have a dark-cloud hovering above them as the off-season quickly approaches and Snyder won’t be turning around anything in Atlanta, well at least for at least this season. Much like Luka Doncic is expecting changes this summer in Dallas, changes will have to be made in Atlanta for Trae Young to get the Hawks back to being a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference. Only difference Trae Young doesn’t hold the same wielding power Luka Doncic holds in Dallas, so Trae’s best bet is to just sit back and watch how the Hawks front office operates this coming off-season, after all Trae is already being compensated a ransom after signing a 5-year max contract close to 2 years ago; so whether he stays or Atlanta tells him they are moving in a different direction and decide to move him, he’ll be just fine.
Trae Young would move the needle in several franchises and could easily slot in as the second best player on a championship team, I mean could only imagine him on the Pelicans with Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson next season. He would be exactly what they currently lack at the moment because let’s face it for as dynamic as Ingram and Zion are a back-court of two shooting-guards won’t be cutting it long-term in New Orleans. To conclude If I was general manager Landry Fields I’m finding new homes for Collins,Hunter,and Murray; slotting Bogdanovic alongside Trae and also plugging in AJ Griffin at the starting small-forward position. Whatever you get in return for Hunter,Collins,and Murray could fill out the 4 and 5 positions or look to fill those voids through the 2023 NBA Draft. I say all this because I want to see Quin Snyder coach Trae Young for one last season with a personnel which caters to his strengths as a coach before making any drastic decision on moving on from Trae who’s at least made Hawks basketball watchable once again. After all Trae Young is one of the few stars around the league who has the capability of leading the league in scoring and assists which puts him in rarefied air; and just like I foresaw prior to him shaking Adam Silver’s hand the night of the 2018 NBA Draft, the man just seemed like someone who was destined to capture the hearts of many in Atlanta just like Allen Iverson did in Philadelphia. Trigger Trae has some unfinished business left in Atlanta.
D-NBA 