When it rains, not only does it pour, but cars often fly splashing up water from the puddles. It can be difficult to avoid that kind of occurrence, something the Atlanta Hawks find out with every passing loss with their latest, a 110-108 defeat at the hands of the stumbling Bulls, is no different.
The Hawks got down by as many as 18 points. But found themselves faced with a last-shot situation against a team they successfully toppled nine days earlier.
This time, it was the Bulls who got the final look and the victory.
In the aftermath of that, and the wake of a report detailing significant turbulence and a shakeup in the front office, another report has emerged detailing the prevailing notion at the G League Showcase that Trae Young might not be long for Atlanta.
Rival execs believe Trae Young could demand trade from Atlanta Hawks
“Rival executives in attendance at the NBA’s annual G League Winter Showcase are of the belief that Atlanta Hawks star point guard Trae Young could be the next player on a rookie max extension to request a trade if the team doesn’t make inroads come postseason time,” opens Bleacher Report NBA insider Chris Haynes in the new report.
Young signed a five-year, $207 million contract extension last offseason that turned into a $215 million pact with the fifth-year guard earning his first All-NBA nod after leading the league in total points as well as assists last season.
The Hawks, after being eliminated unceremoniously from the playoffs, went out and traded a haul for a proper running mate, landing on Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs.
But the Hawks’ offense has looked clunky with off-ball action the primary culprit to some.
Trae Young is an elite playmaker but has shown no willingness to excel off-ball next to another shot-creator in Dejounte Murray. And he’s a small defender that gets targeted by offenses. A ton of teams already have good PGs. A genuine question: Which teams would really want Trae? https://t.co/TjL6UzVoow
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) December 22, 2022
Both Young and Murray are tremendous playmakers. But the former is not the most active player when he doesn’t have the ball and the latter is not the most consistent three-point shooter. The results have been a 16-16 start, multiple team meetings, and Young skipping out a game (which the Hawks won) following a disagreement with head coach Nate McMillan.
The news of Travis Schlenk stepping down and Landry Fields stepping in could also be interpreted as the Hawks bracing for some other form of major transition, though a Young trade still seems far off.
It is more likely we see the Hawks move on from other assets to try to placate the dynamic Young who had 34 points, six assists, and six rebounds against Chicago.
“Young and Fields meet routinely and have a great relationship,” writes Haynes. “Fields has the green light from ownership to do what’s necessary to acquire upgrades, but the hard part is executing. John Collins has been made available in trade talks, but it is unclear if the organization can return a package that would make the team better.”
He ranks third in the league in assists and 11th in points.
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is the only other player who can boast ranking in the top 10 in both categories, just another way the two players are linked together five years after they were traded for one another on draft night. Moving on from that would seem to be a lofty measure when dealing with such a talent.