Hawks Aren't Missing Trae Young

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WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 04: Trae Young #3 of the Washington Wizards looks on against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at Capital One Arena on November 04, 2026 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

The Atlanta Hawks showed the basketball world what they thought of Trae Young by what they got in return for him from the Washington Wizards when they traded him away.

The Wizards sent the Hawks two guards, CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, neither of whom has any real future value.

Atlanta just wanted to get rid of Young.

So far this season, nothing suggests that the Hawks are missing their former point guard.

Hawks-Wizards Comparison

GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 06: Trae Young #3 of the Washington Wizards draws a foul from CJ McCollum #3 of the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on November 06, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The conversation really can start in the standings, because while Young always put up good numbers, it wasn’t always clear that he positively impacted winning.

The Hawks are 7-5 through Nov. 12, while the Wizards are 4-8.

Washington has plenty of talent with the likes of Anthony Davis and A.J. Dybantsa but still isn’t winning. Somehow, Young is a factor in that.

Meanwhile, while Atlanta hasn’t been perfect in the early going, they’ve shown they can contend in the Eastern Conference.

Young is averaging 18.3 points and 8.3 assists per game this season. But he’s also shooting a ghastly 40% from the floor, including 29% from 3-point range. He’s a high-usage player without high efficiency, and it certainly looks to be holding the Wizards back.

And Young’s defense? Ouch. You can read more about that at this link.

Hawks Without Trae Young

GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 06: Trae Young #3 of the Washington Wizards reacts in the final seconds of their 139-132 loss to the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on November 06, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Much of the reason the Hawks wanted to trade Young was to free up opportunity for their rising stars.

Jalen Johnson gets to have the ball a whole lot more without Young. That’s also true for Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels.

Alexander-Walker is averaging 21 points per game this season. Johnson is putting up 19 points and seven assists on average. Daniels is scoring nine points per game with nearly six assists per contest.

The Hawks then added gritty guards Aaron Wiggins and Luguentz Dort from the Thunder, and they’re starting to incorporate promising rookie point guard Kingston Flemings.

When Young was in Atlanta, the whole system orbited around him. Now that he’s gone, a lot of Hawks can spread their wings and fly.