The NBA is “applauding” the Atlanta Hawks for the Trae Young move, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line. Sources across the league were surprised that the club didn’t have to send a single pick to convince the Washington Wizards to bear the second year of his deal.
This is the exact opposite reaction of the fans and national media, who lambasted Atlanta for selling low on their star. To their credit, it is easy to see why you might believe Washington landed a steal. Young was talented enough to single-handedly drag a team into championship contention at his peak – he brought the Hawks just two games shy of the franchise’s first Finals appearance in just his third season.
Today, however, Young is on an expiring contract with a $49 million player option for next season. While he is still one of the best passers in the league, he isn’t the same dynamic scoring option he once was. His two point percentage has floundered, his three ball has been inconsistent, and he’s only remained a threat due to his foul-drawing.
This marks yet another masterclass from new GM Onsi Saleh
Hawks fans should find comfort in the fact that the franchise is under Onsi Saleh’s stewardship. Atlanta promoted Saleh to the GM position over the offseason after firing Landry Fields, who is now running the Overtime Elite program.
Saleh instantly crushed his first offseason, acquiring Kristaps Porzingis for free and signing Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the best contract of free agency. He stood his ground during contract negotiations with Dyson Daniels and Trae Young, then made the draft day trade of the decade by robbing New Orleans of their 2026 pick.
There are two areas in which Saleh could be criticized. First, he signed Luke Kennard to a one-year, $11 million deal. This is clearly an overpay, but perhaps an acceptable one. If Atlanta wasn’t planning on using the cap space anywhere else, then there is no harm in a one-year deal.
Where Saleh really dropped the ball, however, was in his handling of the center rotation. The Hawks have two centers: Porzingis and Onyeka Okongwu. On most teams, two high-quality centers are enough to form a competent rotation. Porzingis, however, can be expected to miss about half the season to injury and illness. This has routinely left Okongwu as the only center option – and Double O is just 6’8. The Hawks have struggled mightily without a competent third-stringer to support Okongwu.
Still, Saleh couldn’t have been expected to form a title contender in year one. The Hawks are in a much better position to win a championship this decade than they were when he was hired, the first time in far too long that statement applied to Atlanta.