If ESPN proves right about Trae Young’s trade outlook, Atlanta may be staring at a rare win win. Sometimes the biggest improvement comes not from adding a star, but from removing the variables that keep a team stuck.
The phrase “addition by subtraction” sounds harsh, but it is a real team building concept in the NBA. It does not mean Trae Young is not elite. It means the fit, the timeline, and the roster incentives around one player can limit what a franchise is able to become.