Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young sustained a knee injury during a game against the Brooklyn Nets last Wednesday. With updates indicating that he could be sidelined for a month, the Hawks find themselves in a tough spot.
While discussing the topic on “Run It Back“, Lou Williams and DeMarcus Cousins highlighted how this time could be a window of opportunity for Trae Young. Keeping in mind the trade rumors involving the Hawks’ star in the summer, both Williams and Cousins hinted that a potential exit could be on the table.
“This is going to be a great tell-tale time for the Atlanta Hawks to figure out where they’re going and the future here while Trae Young is out for four weeks,” said Williams. “It gives them an opportunity to evaluate what you have in-house and what you need to work on outside of him.”
While Williams’ account focused on how the Hawks could monitor the team’s performance without Young during this time, Cousins added, “I stand on what I said earlier, I’m ready for Trae to get out of there as well. I don’t really see them making the proper moves to really elevate this team, elevate his talent, and put him in a position to be successful. You know, really push this team.”
“With that being said, I still think this is the perfect timing while he’s injured to find some trade suitors, find a good spot,” Cousins continued. “Obviously, you continue to evaluate the talent on your team, where you get to really see what the talent is around him and how well they can do. But as far as moving forward, I still stand on it. It’s time for him to get out of there as well.”
The next four weeks will prove to be a crucial period for both Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. With the potential for some large-scale changes, both parties will keep a close eye on the team’s performance.
Should Trae Young Leave The Hawks?
Trae Young has been the face of the Hawks franchise for the better part of his career. Having become a household name with the team, Young is very closely tied to Atlanta itself. In this regard, it would seem odd for the star to depart. However, several factors point toward a potential exit.
One of the major factors could be Young’s pending contract extension. Earlier reports indicated that the Hawks wouldn’t rush into offering the four-time All-Star a new contract, primarily to monitor whether Young could still lead a successful campaign and make a deep playoff run.
Given that Atlanta invested in building a solid roster this summer, the Hawks have provided Trae Young with the necessary tools to succeed. Hence, even with this season being a test of the star’s leadership, the Hawks’ organization has shown its faith in Young.
In this regard, an exit at this point would be unwise. Still, Atlanta will need to find a way to turn things around if they are to remain competitive.
Coming off a Sunday night’s loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Hawks have fallen to 3-4 on the season. With the need to rally together to stay afloat in Trae Young’s absence, Atlanta will look to its young core to step up and produce against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
