The Atlanta Hawks will roll into 2024-25 with Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, and Zaccharie Risacher among their core players.
Dyson Daniels, who is likely to come off the bench behind Young, is now in Atlanta as well. The 2022 No. 8 pick, Daniels is a jumbo playmaker at 6-foot-8 and 199 pounds. Due to his size and defensive ability, Daniels could very well start. Nonetheless, because he’s a career 31.2 percent 3-point shooter, he may not mesh perfectly with the starting lineup.
Neither Clint Capela nor Onyeka Okongwu are striking fear into their opponent’s hearts beyond the arc. Johnson’s made 32.8 percent of his 3s in his career. Risacher, the 2024 No. 1 pick, has converted just 25.0 percent of his 3s in Summer League. Consequently, it’s more practical to start Bogdan Bogdanovic or De’Andre Hunter instead. Due to Hunter’s on-ball defense, he would be the better option. The 26-year-old grew comfortable in a bench role at the end of last season because he was able to be more aggressive offensively.
However, with Dejounte Murray now in New Orleans, Hunter should be able to get the touches he wanted in the first unit. If so, he may be able to eclipse 20 points per game for the first time in the regular season. With the five-year veteran scoring 20 or more points a career-high 19 times last season, the Hawks may be banking on him to do exactly that.
Updates On Trae Young’s Trade Market
From a readiness standpoint, it appears that Atlanta is behind where they were last season.
If that’s the case, it stands to reason that Young isn’t particularly satisfied with his supporting cast. After all, the three-time All-Star has repeatedly said the primary focus at this point of his career is winning in the postseason.
With this roster, the Hawks aren’t even guaranteed to clinch a playoff berth.
That being said, though Atlanta has already split up their backcourt duo, they could still move Young.
Hawks general manager Landry Fields refused to openly commit to the face of the franchise this month. Furthermore, getting their first-round picks back from the San Antonio Spurs is likely an ideal scenario. Atlanta owes San Antonio two first round picks and a first-round pick swap over the next three drafts. Even worse for the Hawks is that the 2025 and 2026 NBA Drafts are highly touted.
The most obvious route to reacquiring their first-rounders would be to trade You g to the Spurs. However, ESPN’s Zach Lowe reports that “the Spurs’ and Lakers’ interest in Young has cooled in recent months… but such doors never close shut.”
No Need For Trae Young
San Antonio doesn’t have a particular need for Young after drafting Stephon Castle and signing Chris Paul.
Paul, who’s on a one-year deal, will undoubtedly start to enter the season as the starter. However, the end of the 39-year-old’s career is like an object in the mirror, closer than it appears. Castle is on deck to be the team’s starting point guard when Paul departs, though 2024 No. 36 pick Juan Nuñez could battle for the spot when he returns from Spain.
Taking Heed Of Trae Young
Young has long been linked to Los Angeles.
Just below the second apron, the Lakers could feasibly acquire Young if they send the Hawks a package that includes Austin Reaves and two first-round picks. Frankly, this wouldn’t be too different from their return for Young. Nonetheless, due to Young’s high salary, poor locker room reputation, and egotistical on-court tendencies, it may be the best they can get.
There are several reasons to believe the Lakers wouldn’t make the trade though.
To start, they’ve privately pushed against the Big 3 model due to the punishments levied against high-salary teams. Secondly, L.A. has been particularly reluctant to part ways with Reaves. Lastly, the Lakers recently hired former Hawks head coach Nate McMillan as an assistant. McMillan was arguably only available because of what became a publicized dispute with Young. To that point, with JJ Redick coming in as a first-year head coach, it may make for too volatile a situation.
