Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
There’s just a vibe suggesting a fracture between the franchise and Trae Young is growing. Quin Snyder is entering his first full offseason as head coach with final personnel say and may look to remold the team in his image.
Young is a dynamo with the ball in his hands, a consistent leader in both points and assists. But the offense around him can sometimes stagnate, leaving Atlanta in weird flunks (to say nothing of Young’s defense).
There was notable tension between superstar and head coach earlier this season. How that came about is unclear, but Young is still a member of the Hawks – Nate McMillan is not.
The Hawks were able to recover from a lackadaisical start to make the postseason, but it’s hard to imagine them advancing particularly far. It’s also hard to tell where they’ll improve from here, since the offseason Dejounte Murray trade failed to take them to the next level.
Young had a rather strange response when asked about the trade rumors surrounding him. He said ownership and the front office hadn’t communicated a desire to trade him, before telling The Athletic that it “could be false, could be true, you never know.”
But there are plenty of smoke signals pointing to a growing rift between team and their star, or at least growing uncertainty as to whether or not young can be the top player for a championship contender. That could lead to a fresh start for all involved as soon as this summer.