Hey, y’all.
Welcome to a bonus Friday edition of The Win Column — a missive centered solely around Trae Young, his departure and the future of the Hawks.
Please pardon the forthcoming earnestness. (And vote in our poll.)
GOODBYE TO A GAME-CHANGER
I love Trae Young.
I enjoyed the Hawks I grew up with, too, those teams with Mookie and Steve and Dikembe (even Christian Laettner!). Later, Joe Johnson, Paul Millsap and others offered a fair number of memorable moments.
It was Trae that made me a basketball fan again.
As a child of ’90s Atlanta, the Braves will always be my first love, the grade-school crush I ended up marrying.
Football comes second.
The Hawks — sometimes bad, often good, never great — failed to register in any meaningful way.
Then Trae arrived.
This skinny kid from Norman, Oklahoma, swaggering up and down the court. Slinging improbable passes, hitting impossible shots.
Exciting. Different. Intoxicating, really.
I remember my tiny fan brain wondering if Atlanta had its very own Stephen Curry.
Which was foolish, of course. There’s only one Steph.
But there’ll never be another Trae either.
When the trade news broke late Wednesday, I got unsolicited texts from two friends (humble brag alert).
One was “sickened” by Young’s departure.
The other was glad he’d now be “putting up terrible shots” in Washington.
That’s been the duality of the Trae Young experience since Day 1.
He rubs certain people the wrong way: the foul-baiting, the celebrations, the defensive deficiencies. The fact that he’s not Luka Doncic.
He also made Atlanta feel alive.
He brought belief, braggadocio and a whole lot of buckets to a city wont to wallow. Hawks games became events; places to be seen again.
Sometimes it worked: He’s won games and been a national talking point like few Atlanta athletes ever are. He became a heel at Madison Square Garden (the only time I’ve ever cackled while watching basketball) and willed his team to the Eastern Conference final.
If he doesn’t step on that ref’s foot in Game 3 against the Bucks, I remain convinced he takes the franchise to its first NBA Finals.
But he did, and he didn’t — and the magic never quite returned.
NBA assist leader or not, it became obvious he no longer fits the Hawks’ long-term vision. The team now builds around Jalen Johnson (and Dyson Daniels, and Zaccharie Risacher, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker).
That’s the truth, agita-inducing or not.
“No one takes us serious and this is why,” influencer Mariah Rose, aka “Hoops for Hotties,” posted on Instagram. “Like oh my god. I was so ready for this trade to happen, but not like this. There better be a larger plan at hand.”
The Hawks reportedly still covet Mavericks center Anthony Davis (at least before last night, when he hurt his left hand to a still-unknown degree).
Regardless of what happens next, Young gave this city his all. We owe him a lot — including the chance at a fresh start.
“Bringing a championship to Atlanta was always my goal,” Young wrote on social media this morning. “However, between the injuries, the setbacks, and situations that didn’t make sense, we never truly got to see our full potential.”
“It’s time to see what’s possible,” he added, “when the support is real and the vision is clear.”
Stay cold, Ice Trae.
PURE, UNADULTERATED LINKAGE
Beat writer Lauren Williams (@WilliamsLaurenL) and other AJCers are doing an exemplary job tackling Young’s departure. Before we go any further, let’s put more of that coverage right by your clicking finger.
- ‘Another opportunity’: Young bids farewell to Atlanta
- What’s next for the Hawks?
- ‘We’re going to miss him’: Atlanta teammates react
- Cunningham: In the end, Hawks cut their losses
- Next up to lead: Jalen “Scottie Pippen” Johnson
YOUNG’S LEGACY, STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
In his seven-plus seasons in Atlanta, Young went to four All-Star Games. Per ESPN Insights, he scored or assisted on 48.1 points per game — the second-most in NBA history. (Guess who’s first?)
He also cemented himself in the pantheon of Hawks greats.
Visual proof below, courtesy of Win Column Data Guy™ Rahul Deshpande:
Young finishes his Hawks career with the franchise’s all-time marks in assists and made 3-pointers (by a lot). He’s third in points per game and sixth in total points — again, in less than eight seasons.
Maybe I’m crazy. And no slight is intended toward Bob Pettit (who played for the Hawks in Milwaukee and St. Louis, not Atlanta), Pistol Pete Maravich (a relative short-timer) or Lou Hudson.
But in terms of the most talented, most influential Hawks of all-time?
I’m slotting Young in right behind Dominique Wilkins.
What say you?
👀 We’re efforting longtime broadcasters Steve Holman and Bob Rathbun — de facto Hawks historians — to get their perspectives. Stay tuned to AJC.com for that.
MEET THE NEW GUYS
Make no mistake: The primary objectives of the Young trade were 1) moving on and 2) freeing up salary for future moves.
But the guys they got back from Washington are real live ballplayers who could help right now. Here’s the skinny, adapted from this story by sports editor Rod Beard:
👋 CJ McCollum, 34, is 6-foot-3 combo guard who can be a scoring threat and improve the Hawks’ backcourt defense. He’s averaging 19.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists over his 13-year career, which includes eight-plus standout seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers.
- In his 35 games this season, McCollum posted 18.8 points and 3.6 assists. He’s shooting 45% from the field and 39% from beyond the arc.
👋 Corey Kispert, 26, is a 6-foot-6 wing who was the No. 15 pick in the 2021 draft. He’s regarded as a good outside shooter who is shooting 39.5% on 3-pointers and averaging 9.2 points in 19 games this season.
McCollum’s $30.7 million contract expires following this season. Kispert has four years and $54 million remaining on his contract.
It’s unclear if either will join the team in time for tonight’s game in Denver (9 p.m., FanDuel Sports).
THROUGH HIS TEAMMATE’S EYES
Young often got a bum rap as a bad teammate. His now-former compatriots beg to differ.
🗣️ Jalen Johnson: “Trae was just always himself. I think I respect that the most about him. He always cared about his teammates, despite what everybody said. He was somebody that just loved to make everybody around him better. So I think that’s one of the things I picked up early from him.”
🗣️ Dyson Daniels: “Coming here from New Orleans a year ago, he’s kind of like the guy that got me going, got my career started, really, and put me in positions to succeed. And playing alongside a guy like him just really helped me thrive and become a better player.”
🗣️ Zaccharie Risacher: “He’s my guy. He’s my brother. … And I’m just grateful to be able to say that I crossed paths with him. I just always want what’s best for him. If he’s happy, I’m going to be happy for him.”
PHOTO OF THE DAY
OH, AND IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING …
The Wizards come to State Farm Arena on both Feb. 24 and Feb. 26.
Young’s traditional No. 11 jersey is retired by the Wizards — so if he’s healthy, you’ll see him wearing No. 3.
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of the Win Column. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.
Until next time.
About the Author
Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
