Has Trae Young Played His Last Game in Atlanta?

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After suffering a Radial Collateral Ligament (RCL) injury to one of his fingers on his left hand, Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young left last Friday’s game against the Toronto Raptors. With Young expected to miss four weeks at a minimum, many are asking if Trae has played his last game as a member of the Atlanta Hawks.

Young has been a controversial figure in Atlanta since being drafted back in 2018. The three-time All-Star has proven to be one of the better guards in the league, but the team has had little success to show during his time in Atlanta. In Trae’s first five seasons with the team, the Hawks have missed the playoffs twice, lost in the first round twice, and made the Eastern Conference Finals once after the collapse of the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2021 playoffs. Young has also been rumored to play a role in the firing of his first two head coaches, with fans labeling him as a “coach killer”. Even with the addition of guard Dejounte Murray, the Hawks have not looked good. After a first-round exit last season, the Hawks are on pace to finish in the play-in tournament.

Murray has already been rumored to be on the trade block, linked to several teams including the Lakers and Spurs. The rumors regarding Trae Young are at an all-time high as well as the future of the organization is unknown. Like Murray, Young has also been linked to the Lakers and Spurs. To keep the Lakers a contender now and post-LeBron to pair with AD, rumors suggest the Lakers will pursue Young this offseason. Being represented by Rich Paul and Klutch Sports (the same agent and agency as both LeBron James and Anthony Davis), there is already a connection between Young and the Lakers. With the Spurs having three of Atlanta’s upcoming first-round picks, as well as a first-round pick swap, the Hawks are in desperate need of future assets. Currently, in the second year of his five-year, $215M deal, any team trading for Young would land him for several more seasons.

Atlanta could also get future assets from the Spurs, who own their upcoming first-round picks. Recent reports note that Young has an interest in playing with big man Victor Wembanyama. Howard Beck of The Ringer reported that the Hawks and Spurs discussed a potential deal for Young before the 2024 trade deadline, with it being unknown how far the talks went. If a trade were to happen between the two teams, San Antonio could trade one or more of Atlanta’s picks back to them as they look to quickly build a championship contender around Wembanyama.

For Atlanta, the Trae Young era of the team has not worked and a rebuild is inevitable. The Hawks have been unable to build a contender around Young, even with the addition of another star playing alongside him in Dejounte Murray. With the team going nowhere and several teams passing them, Atlanta should strongly consider the future of the franchise. The future of the Hawks is in doubt and moving on from Young this summer would be the best move for the future.