Trae Young Discusses Risacher, Dejounte Murray Trade, Team USA And More on Podcast P with Paul George

The Hawks' point guard went on Paul George's Podcast P to discuss the Dejounte Murray trade, Zaccharie Risacher, Team USA and more.

Apr 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Javonte Green (24) defends Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) during the second half during a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Although the Atlanta Hawks have had a busy offseason, their star point guard has had little to say about it. In the wake of the Dejounte Murray trade, he offered a fairly benign statement on the move while being interviewed by ESPN's Cassidy Hubarth during the Hawks' second Summer League game.

“Me and him, we both understand this league and this business. We know it’s a win-now league, especially in the position we’re in. We’re trying to win. Both of us as competitors, we wanna win, so. We both got love for each other. It’s honestly sad losing him, but he’s in a great spot over there in New Orleans. We both wish each other nothing but the best."

He also had this to say about first overall pick Zaccharie Risacher during the same Summer League game:

“I’ve texted him. We’ve messaged back and forth. He’s talented, he’s smart, and he makes the right reads. I know our coaches [head coach Quin Snyder] is definitely trying to make him be aggressive in the first game. He hasn’t gotten up as many shots up today as I would like, but the first game he was getting up some shots. But he’s a smart player. He’s gonna be really good in this league."

Young has had a fairly quiet offseason, but he sat down with Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George on George's Podcast P (a production of Wave Sports + Entertainment) to discuss a variety of topics, including Murray and Risacher. The interview did not necessarily offer any surprising insights, but it was a candid discussion between Young, George and cohosts Dallas Rutherford and Jackie Long.

When asked about the time he spent with Dejounte, he had this to say:

"To be honest, there was good and bad. I mean, the only bad part was that we didn't get to win as much as we wanted to. The good part was that we have a lifeling relationships. Our relationshp goes outisde of basketball. We are both family men, we both have similar people around us. The way we get along off-the-court is awesome. On the court, it was tough cause we both wanted to win. We're not the first duo to not work and we won't be the last."

Although it is not exactly breaking new ground, it is clear that Young's feelings about his former co-star have not changed since his earlier interview. He also had this to say:

"I think it's tough because we're both very unselfish. I would pass him the ball and he wants to be aggressive, he's a point guard too, so he's not always thinking to score first. When I'm on the court, he's more of a shooting guard, so it just didn't work."

It was interesting to listen to Young's discussion of the Murray fit - he direct admitted that the Hawks miscast Muray into a role he didn't fit into. His comments below suggest as much:

"On paper, you may think it [the combination] would. In San Antonio, he was more of a defender, rebounder, get guys involved, but it just had a different feel here."

When talking about Risacher, Young confirmed that they still have not worked out together, but he still reached out to him on draft night and has been in communication with him. George asked Young about Risacher's lack of national buzz prior to the draft and how he views the French wing's fit in Atlanta. Young responded with this:

"To be honest, no disrespect, a lot of us look at them as role players coming in anyways. These guys, whether it's Reed, who's going to be a hell of a NBA player, or Alex, who's going to be a hell of a NBA player, a lot of them are going to be role players. I think a lot of the GMs this year were trying to figure out who is going to be the best player for their team. As good as Alex Sarr is, I don't think he's going to be their franchise player for them going forward. He's going to be a great player and have a long NBA carer, but the outlook on any of these guys coming was not like they were going to be Luka or Zion type guys."

Young was also asked about the changes that the Hawks have undergone around him and said this:

"I just want to get back to winning. Winning takes care of everything. That's what I want to get to, so whatever that looks like is what I'm going to get there."

I thought one of the more interesting questions George asked Young was about a player he'd specifically like to play with. Young offered a relatively safe initial response, saying this:

"I feel like I can make anybody better. The way I play, the way I draw defenders - I'd rather get an assist than a bucket. The image of me can just change. For me, it's not just one player. There's a lot of stars, a lot of players."

However, George pressed him and said that he felt a dynamic big would really open up Young's game. He suggested Risacher could be that type of player and Young agreed, saying this:

"To be honest, I see that in his game. He's a taller player, like 6'10 frame, he's a defender. He can knock down open shots, get stops."

Young also threw some more gas on the rumors that Dyson Daniels is going to feature heavily into the Hawks 2024-25 plans. He had this to say about Daniels:

"He's a bigger and taller guard that plays defense. I saw him playing for Australia, picking up guys 94 feet. Not a lot of people know who he is, but I feel like he's going to have a big year."

Young confirmed that he's stil rehabbing from his hand injury and has not resumed 5 on 5 work. There's plenty of time for him to heal before the season, so this should not be a concern for Hawks fans.

Although this is once again not surprising, he re-affirmed his interest in competing for Team USA in the 2028 Olympics. Young had this to say:

"Nothing's given - everything is earned. We got a couple of years, it's gonna have to be earned. We got a lot of talent Of course, I want to. It ain't up to me, but if it was, I would want to be."

There wasn't a ton of new things to be gleaned from this interview, but I thought the two most interesting parts about Young's comments were what he said about Murray and Risacher. From his statements, it seems that Atlanta very clearly understood that the fit did not work and there were no real discussions of the Young/Murray backcourt getting another year. I also thought it was fairly candid for Young to admit that he sees most of the 2024 draft class - and Risacher by extension - as role players.