NBA Analyst Gives Their Take On What The Hawks' Biggest Question Ahead of Training Camp

Is Trae Young's future the top question for the Hawks ahead of training camp?

Apr 10, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) controls the ball against the Charlotte Hornets during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The NBA season is still a little more than a month away, but now is the time to start analyzing rosters and determining who could could finish where in their respective conferences.

The Atlanta Hawks are one of the most interesting teams heading into the season. On the surface, it might look like the Hawks are going to be worse because they traded Dejounte Murray, but I think you could make the argument they sneakily got better. The two biggest things the Hawks needed to fix this offseason was their size and defense and I think they have done so with the additions of Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, and Larry Nance. If Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, and De'Andre Hunter also improve and help the defense, I have confidence in Trae Young being able to lead Atlanta to having a good offense.

While I think that is the Hawks biggest question going into training camp, CBS Sports Jasmyn Wimbish thinks it is more centered around Young's future and wrote this about the Hawks:

"Atlanta pulled the plug on the Trae Young-Dejounte Murray duo this summer by trading the latter to the Pelicans. Murray needed to be dealt, him and Young just didn't work together, and the Hawks got a good haul for him with Larry Nance Jr. and Dyson Daniels, while acquiring two first-round picks. But without upgrades to immediately help this team, could we be nearing the end of Young's time in Atlanta? After this season, Young will have two years left on the rookie max extension he signed in 2021. There wasn't a trade market for Young over the summer when there were reports of Atlanta trading him or Murray, and while some of that is due to him being a defensive liability, it's also likely because of the $138 million he's still owed over the next three years.

Could a trade market materialize at the deadline if a team gets desperate, or maybe next summer when Young will have one less year on his deal? There's nothing suggesting that the Hawks want to trade Young now, or that the All-Star guard wants to leave Atlanta, but it feels like Atlanta is slowly heading towards another rebuild. They landed the No. 1 overall pick and selected Zaccharie Risacher, and have some promising young pieces in Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu and now Daniels too. There's plenty of veterans on the roster who could be dealt, like Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela and Nance so it would make sense for Young to be on the trading block as well. He's about to enter the middle of his prime at 25 years old, and would probably like to be on a steady title contender rather than a team that seems to be reshuffling guys around him every couple years.

If the Hawks overachieve this year, this question may be pushed further down the line, but if the losses start to pile up and the focus shifts towards developing the young guys, Young could either push for a trade, or the Hawks could initiate it."

I do think it is a big season for Young, but I think he is in a position to succeed and lead the team. As long as Young is the primary creator on offense, the Hawks should have a top offense in the NBA, but it has been the other side of the court that has given them issues. Bringing in Dyson Daniels via the Dejounte Murray trade, drafting Risacher, and hoping that Johnson, Okongwu, Clint Capela, and De'Andre Hunter can continue to defend at an above average level. If the Hawks can get better on that end, then I think they could be a surprise team in 2024-2025.