The Atlanta Hawks moved on from franchise point guard Trae Young after trading him to the Washington Wizards just a few days ago. Young was seen on the bench when the trade was announced, and he addressed the team after their game, but the fans were not able to hear what he had to say until now.
The now-Wizards guard finally broke his silence on social media about the trade, starting it with “I never thought I'd be typing this.”
“The last few years weren't how I wanted them to be,” Young wrote. “Expectations that were created for ourselves, reaching heights that Atlanta has never reached before. Bringing a championship to Atlanta was always my goal. However, between the injuries, the setbacks, and situations that didn't make sense, we never truly got to see our full potential.
“However, the pain of staying the same eventually outweighed the uncertainty of change. Change is often met with fear, but I see it as another opportunity. I'm walking into this next chapter with my head high and my eyes forward. It's time to see what's possible when the support is real and the vision is clear. We move.”
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Young brought the Hawks two games away from the NBA Finals in 2021, but ended up losing to the eventual champs Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. From there, the Hawks made the playoffs for two straight years, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
There were several different iterations of the team that the front office tried to put together, but they weren't able to get back to the success they found in 2021, which is why Young mentioned that they never got to see their potential.
Young will now try to find success with the Wizards, another franchise in the league with young talent, but has not had a winning record since 2018. With Young, cap space, and a potential top pick, there's a chance they can turn things around.