The NBA is “applauding” the Atlanta Hawks for the Trae Young move, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line. Sources across the league were surprised that the club didn’t have to send a single pick to convince the Washington Wizards to bear the second year of his deal.
This is the exact opposite reaction of the fans and national media, who lambasted Atlanta for selling low on their star. To their credit, it is easy to see why you might believe Washington landed a steal. Young was talented enough to single-handedly drag a team into championship contention at his peak – he brought the Hawks just two games shy of the franchise’s first Finals appearance in just his third season.