It's become borderline impossible to deny: the Atlanta Hawks are simply a better team without Trae Young. That statement would have seemed positively laughable and a total impossibility a few years ago, and now it's become the reality in Atlanta.
We're seeing that the Hawks' defensive output improves massively when Young is off the floor. And although their offensive versatility isn't quite the same without him, it's still been good enough to produce winning basketball. Atlanta holds just a 2-8 record when Trae suits up this season, and a 13-11 record when he doesn't play.
It's obvious why the trade rumors are only growing louder, and why the idea of Young at some point leaving Atlanta feels inevitable at this point. There's no guarantee this front office will be able to move him before the summer, but number 11's days with this franchise absolutely seem numbered right now.
The Atlanta Hawks are built for success more without Trae Young
That record split is the part that’s impossible to unsee, but it also explains why this situation feels so messy for Atlanta. Young certainly isn't a bad player, but this team is better without him because the roster’s strengths get accentuated most when there isn’t a small guard to hunt every possession in a playoff-style game.
Look at what Quin Snyder can lean into when Young sits. Atlanta can stack real point-of-attack pressure with bigger guards, then keep size on the floor behind it. Dyson Daniels is a nightmare matchup for opposing ball-handlers, Zaccharie Risacher’s length changes passing angles, and Jalen Johnson can switch between positions comfortably. Having that versatility makes the team's defense feel connected and capable of thriving against a variety of opponents.
Offensively, it does get clunkier at times. There are stretches where the Hawks miss Trae’s pick-and-roll mastery, as well as his ability to manufacture an elite shot out of nothing. But the trade-off has been a more balanced, less predictable attack where the ball doesn't stick, and opponents don't get to load up on one matchup so heavily for 48 minutes. They’re getting enough creation by committee to survive, and the defense is doing the heavy lifting.
This is why the rumors aren't going away. If Atlanta keeps looking more stable without Young, the franchise is going to have to confront the uncomfortable truth: building a contender around him might require a roster that’s almost impossible to maintain, while building without him looks like a much cleaner path forward.