In a chat on the “Off Guard Podcast,” former NBA point guard Austin Rivers gave his candid take on Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. Rivers urged Trae to force a trade from the Hawks so he could play meaningful basketball somewhere else.
“By the way you already took your team once to the conference finals, you have many memories there, being an All-Star, it’s time to move on,” said Rivers. “Go play some meaningful basketball. I haven’t seen Trae Young play a meaningful game since God knows when. Every time I turn on the [Atlanta] Hawks, it’s a game that nobody gives a f*ck about who wins. You’re not going anywhere. Get out of there, get out.”
As the 5th overall pick in 2018, Trae Young had All-Star expectations from the very beginning and the Hawks trusted him early on to lead them to greatness in the East. As a premier shooter, ball handler, and playmaker, Trae rose to stardom in the NBA and even led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.
But ever since that miraculous run, the Hawks have been in decline, and Trae has struggled to separate himself as an All-NBA player. Over the past three seasons, the Hawks have been an afterthought in the NBA title race, and the trend is set to continue this season.
Without Dejounte Murray or any co-star for Young, the Hawks have no hope to compete with the NBA juggernauts. At 9-11, they are currently ranked 9th in the East as major underdogs to win the title.
At 26 years old, Trae Young is now entering the prime of his career and it should be the moment where he’s enjoying the most success. This season, with averages of 21.8 points, 12.5 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game on 38.2% shooting, he’s been huge for the Hawks offensively but his efficiency leaves much to be desired.
With career-low shooting this season (38.2% from the field and 32.5% from three), Young is clearly off his rhythm but it’s a trait shared among all Hawks players right now. As a team, they are shooting just 46% (17th in the NBA) and 34.8% from three (20th in the NBA).
At this point, the best thing for Trae would be to start over with a clean slate on a different team. Whether it’s the Lakers, Heat, or Magic, Trae Young has the kind of talent that various teams would appreciate, and his game might thrive on a roster with shooters and scorers who can space the floor.
For now, Young isn’t known to be available in trade talks but with the right offer at the right time, it might be possible to strike a deal and get him in a better situation. For the first time since 2021, we can see how Young deals with pressure and adversity when the stakes are highest and we can see how he leads a team with championship expectations.
As one of the best young guards in the NBA, Trae Young should not be overlooked by anyone and if the day comes when he leaves the Hawks, it will likely shake up the NBA hierarchy in a major way. Unfortunately, that dire move might be the only way for him to move forward and salvage his NBA career.
After their shocking upset win against the Cavaliers today, the Hawks will travel to Spectrum Center for a showdown against the Charlotte Hornets at 6:00 PM EST. On Monday, December 2nd, the Hawks are back home for a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at 7:30 PM EST.
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