It's a completely new era for the Atlanta Hawks. In a move that seemed inevitable over the past few days, they shipped away their franchise star of eight seasons, Trae Young, to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. It was a trade that had a chance of happening during the season, but all signs pointed to the Hawks waiting to make a decision on his future with the team in the coming offseason.
With the right MCL sprain and right quad injury, Young's time on the floor with the Hawks was limited. They had to weather the storm without him, and they did a pretty good job doing so. When he returned from the MCL sprain, there were signs after a stretch of games that it may just be time to part ways. The Hawks were 2-8 this season when Young played, and though those losses weren't all his fault, he still was a part of them.
At that point, it was obvious that the Hawks didn't obviously need Young for what he brings to the floor, and the new style of offense that they were playing wasn't meant for a player that needed to control the ball. Jalen Johnson turned into an All-Star caliber player during the process, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is having the best year of his career, and other players stepped up in their roles and produced.
That left Young on the outside looking in, which meant that it was time for a new home. There were not many teams that seemed to have real interest him, as today's NBA has began to look at small guards differently. Yes, Young is one of the better offensive players in the league, but his defensive defencies and size are a lot to cover for nowadays. That's where the Wizards come in.
The Wizards seemed to have interest in Young, which heated up trade rumors, and it looked like he had the same level of interest. The only thing that may have confused Hawks fans was the actual reported trade package.
The only way a deal would happen with the Wizards was if McCollum was in it, due to salary matching. For the Hawks, they get a veteran guard who can still create his own shot, while getting others involved. He's also not the best defender, but at this point in his career, he understands what he needs to do when it comes to schemes. Aside from the actual player they're getting, McCollum has an expiring contract that'll come off the Hawks' books in the offseason, which creates flexibility for them in free agency.
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There were no picks attached to this deal, as the Hawks probably stood firm on not doing so. That means they had to take on a longer contract, which was Kispert. The Hawks have needed some more bodies at the forward position, and Kispert can fill that void. He's also shooting 40% from the three-point line this season, and the Hawks are putting up those shots at a high rate this season. He has his defensive defencies, but the hope is that the Hawks won't put him in tough situations.
This was the type of trade that the Hawks were probably going to get for Young at this point in the season, when looking at his contract, plus what he wants for an extension. Teams knew the Hawks weren't willing to give him the extension he wanted, and the Wizards were one of the few teams that could absord his current contract without losing key, young players on their team.
In the end, the Hawks lost their franchise players, an offensive genius, and the best playmaking point guard in the league, but in the direction they're heading, they didn't particularly need him, especially for his current and future price tag. The Hawks will be able to have cap space during the offseason to possibly land another star who fits the team, while having the chance to draft a top prospect, depending on what happens with the New Orleans Pelicans pick.
It would have been nice to be able to get a young, rising star or a draft pick in return for Young, but the Hawks also would've had to give up more, and they didn't want to do that.
Hawks trade grade: B