Trae Young's latest act gives Hawks trade speculation bad look

Ever since the Hawks drafted him, Trae Young has established strong roots in the Atlanta community. Ahead of the holiday season, the All-Star point guard is once again giving back to the city.

Young and his wife Shelby donated food and served dinner at a local homeless shelter in the spirit of Thanksgiving, supporting Atlanta Mission and their efforts to restore the lives of homeless men, women, and children in Atlanta.

Young’s history of community involvement extends way beyond his most recent endeavors. In Jan. 2020, Young and his foundation donated enough money to Undue Medical Debt to help erase over $1 million in medical debt for 570 families in Atlanta.

Young has also made huge donations to the Atlanta Youth Academy, giving meals to students and renovating their gym. His love for the city of Atlanta has not gone unnoticed among the community around him and the Hawks.

Trae Young’s community involvement gives his slander a very bad look

Ice Trae has struggled for the Hawks this season, posting his lowest scoring average since his rookie year (21.9 PPG) through Atlanta’s first 18 games. With nearly 80% of the season still left to go, Hawks fans should expect some positive regression for their franchise floor general. However, many have reverted to the yearly trade speculation surrounding Young.

Given his passionate work for the Atlanta community that has earned him multiple NBA Cares Community Assist awards, Young shouldn’t have his name so loosely thrown into slanderous conversations. While Young’s game is not without flaws, he has fit and bought into Atlanta’s culture from the day he became a Hawk.

While it is unfortunate to see negative chatter geared toward a player so committed and true to Atlanta, this isn’t exactly the first time Young has dealt with early-season hate. Young often starts his campaigns slowly, so Hawks fans need to show patience as the seventh-year point guard looks to regain his rhythm.

With the Hawks sputtering out to a 7-11 start, Young and his teammates have all become subject to trade talks and slander. Head coach Quin Snyder has also taken a lot of heat for his team’s lack of chemistry and consistent rotations, two aspects of the game hugely impacted by Atlanta’s early-season injury bug.

Onyeka Okongwu has also been giving back to the community

Onyeka Okongwu, who has also found himself caught in the crossfire of Hawks trade talks, recently mirrored Young’s community involvement with an appearance at another non-profit organization. 

Big O stopped by Kate’s Club, an organization that helps and empowers children and teens dealing with the death of a parent, sibling, or caregiver. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Okongwu put smiles on the faces of many children and teens with his visit. He even played several games of Knockout with them, making their days and bringing them more cheer just in time for the holidays.

Like Young, Okongwu finds himself under a microscope for recent on-court struggles despite his heartwarming presence in the community. Big O went off in the Hawks’ season opener when he shot 11/12 from the field with 28 points off the bench. He has cooled off lately though, shooting less than 37% from the field for three straight games and scoring single-digit points for four straight.

Okongwu’s timeshare with Capela has seemingly made both big men less consistent than in previous years. Neither player is rebounding at their normal rate, and neither one is protecting the rim the way the Hawks need them to.

Okongwu may be averaging a career-high in points per game, but his minutes, rebounds, and blocks have all taken a slight hit. Big O has also shot ten percent worse from the field this season, underlined by a putrid 19.4% clip from downtown despite a career-high in nightly 3-point attempts.

Okongwu has shown shooting promise in the past, so his three-ball should begin to fall with more regularity. However, he will have to get back on track soon to escape the swirling trade rumors bound to plague social media over the next few months.

While many fans will become prisoners of the moment, it is important to note the significance of Young and Okongwu to the Hawks organization and its surrounding community. They are building blocks of the future for Atlanta, and 18 games shouldn’t change that.

On the court, Young and Okongwu need to get out of their slumps. Off the court, they don’t need to change a thing.