Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young. Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Four-time NBA All-Star advises Trae Young to request a trade

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 1/16/24

The Atlanta Hawks are expected to be active ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline. Dejounte Murray is the headline name that is expected to be moved. The Hawks have struggled to build a contending roster around All-Star guard Trae Young since drafting him in 2018.

In a recent appearance on the "Bully Ball" podcast, former NBA big man DeMarcus Cousins explained why he believes Young needs to force his way out of Atlanta.

"If I'm Trae Young, I'd get ahead of the curve," Cousins said. "The situation I'm afraid of with Trae Young is that he will remain there too long, and all of a sudden, he becomes the villain; he's the scapegoat. I know this from experience. I know how these organizations work. Once things start to crumble, once they start to fail, the blame game starts. It usually starts with the coach first, then it's the players' fault, then on and so forth...If I'm Trae Young, I'm getting out as soon as I can."

“If I’m Trae Young, I’m getting out as soon as I can.” - @boogiecousins

Don’t just read the headline. Listen to Boogie’s perspective on Trae’s situation in Atlanta.

Watch the full episode of #BullyBall with @Rachel__Nichols, DeMarcus Cousins, and special guest @DarthAmin… pic.twitter.com/fA03idkVqD
— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) January 16, 2024

Young is in his sixth season with the Hawks. He has been to the playoffs on three occasions. Yet, he's only made it out of the first round once. One of Atlanta's biggest issues has been its inability to locate and acquire talent that put Young in a position to thrive. Instead, the Hawks consistently have defensive issues and, at times, have struggled to create a fluid offensive system.

There are only so many moves the Hawks can make before they decide to give up on the Young experience. Then, the All-Star guard will likely be moved on to the highest bidder. Rather than wait for an acrimonious exit, he could look to control the narrative and begin pressuring Atlanta to cash in on his elite skill set.

This season, Young is averaging 27.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 10.9 assists, shooting 42.2% from the field and 36.3% from three-point range. He is undoubtedly one of the best point guards in the Eastern Conference, if not in the entire NBA. There would be no shortage of teams willing to offer enormous trade packages to prise him away from the Hawks.

Atlanta will likely keep hold of Young until at least the end of the season. However, if he does decide to move on, the Hawks would undoubtedly enter a full-scale rebuild, and that could be exactly what the franchise needs.

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