Another season has come and gone, and the Atlanta Hawks continue to find themselves in NBA mediocrity. The Hawks are not bad enough where they could get a high enough draft pick to significantly alter their future, but they're also not good enough where they play much of a factor in the postseason.
For the past four seasons, the Atlanta Hawks have been a mainstay in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament. In those four years, they've only qualified for the NBA Playoffs twice. Heading into the offseason, big questions remain for the future of this franchise, and even more so considering they just fired their general manager, Landry Fields.
With the expectation of a new leading voice in the front office, anything and everything could be on the table for the Hawks heading into the summer. In fact, one move that perhaps many were expecting the Hawks to, at the very least, explore is a potential trade of Trae Young. After flirting with the idea of it for the past 12-18 months, the growing thought was that this would finally be the offseason where the Hawks would pull the trigger.
Trae Young doesn't want to be traded from the Atlanta Hawks
However, at least for now, that may not be the case. Especially considering that, according to a recent report, Young has no desire to leave the Hawks. According to Chris Haynes, Young has "embraced" the Hawks' process and wants to be a part of this team turning the corner in the future.
To be quite honest, this is probably a pretty big, unexpected revelation across the league. If Young is not going to be placed on the trade market this offseason or in the immediate future, it not only alters the future and offseason approach of the Hawks, but perhaps several other teams that are looking to find a star via trade this summer.
One less big-name on the trade market could make a potential bidding war for Kevin Durant that much more important. For the Hawks, if Young is still going to be considered a foundational part of the future, it's going to alter their approach not only at the NBA Draft but also in free agency.
All that said, it's important to note that this is the perspective from Young. He could want to remain in Atlanta and still be traded. Young doesn't have a no-trade clause, so at the end of the day, the decision is still Atlanta's to make. And with a new general manager set to take over, nothing can be assumed at the moment. At the very least, this unexpected report will certainly add another layer to the Hawks' offseason.