The Atlanta Hawks failed to make the playoffs in Trae Young’s final two seasons with the franchise, and they returned just months after trading the All-Star point guard to Washington. The Wizards are about to learn the hard way that winning with Ice Trae isn’t easy. Washington just signed Young to a four-year, $212.7 million contract. They clearly believe he is the one to get them back to contention, but a painful lesson is coming.
Over 3019 minutes from 2024-26, the Hawks had a negative-0.5 net rating with Young on the floor. They were 2.1 points per 100 possessions better without him and had a 118.5 defensive rating in his minutes. It is difficult to seriously contend losing an All-Star’s minutes and even tougher with a defense that would have rated 27th in the NBA last season.
The Hawks knew it was time to move on and build around Jalen Johnson. He made third-team All-NBA and should be even better in his first full season without Young. The Wizards have their own exciting young forward and will quickly learn the hard way about Ice Trae.
Wizards will soon find out it is difficult to build a contender around Trae Young
Washington drafted AJ Dybantsa number one overall. He looks ready to get buckets, but needs the ball in his hands. This could already be a problem. Hawks fans know Young has struggled to work off the ball. If the four-time All-Star isn’t one of the best offensive creators in the world, he is providing even less value to the Wizards.
The 6’2 guard is a problem on defense that keeps getting worse. In his 280 minutes with the Hawks last season, Atlanta had a 129.2 defensive rating. Young doesn’t deserve the full blame, but they had a negative-7.6 net rating when he played.
Washington is eager to snap a five-year playoff drought and get back into contention. They have a roster loaded with young talent to pair with some recently added veterans. Banking on Anthony Davis to stay healthy has been difficult. Khris Middleton is on the decline, and Deandre Ayton is not known for impacting winning. The Wizards need Trae Young to maximize the young group, but Hawks fans know that won’t lead to contention.
Young did lead the Hawks to the 2021 conference finals, but that was five years ago. Atlanta made the playoffs in 2022 and 2023, but were bounced in the first round. Young has taken a step backward since. The 27-year-old should be in the middle of his prime, but the Hawks were clearly better without him last season.
Fans had to be shocked to see Young get a massive contract from the Wizards. Washington clearly believes in him. Hawks fans know the Wizards will be looking to move on from Young as Dybantsa reaches his prime. Young’s defense and overall impact just don’t help his team win. It is a painful truth the Hawks finally admitted after four and a half disappointing years with him leading their charge.
The Atlanta Hawks know the Washington Wizards are about to learn this painful lesson about Trae Young. Clearly, the front office in the nation’s capital thinks things will be different in DC. Hawks fans know that won’t be the case.
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