Will Trae Young Still Be The Hawks Best Player in Three Seasons?

Young has been the Hawks best player since the year he was drafted in 2018

Feb 18, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Eastern Conference guard Trae Young (11) of the Atlanta Hawks dribbles past Western Conference forward Kevin Durant (35) of the Phoenix Suns during the second quarter in the 73rd NBA All Star game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Pretty much from the time that he was drafted in 2018, Trae Young has been the best player on the Hawks. I think you could make a pretty good argument that if Young continues on the career path that he is on, he would likely be the greatest player in franchise history. Young has been a three time All-Star, made an All-NBA team, and took the Hawks the furthest they have ever been as a franchise back in the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals run, where they lost in six games to the Milwaukee Bucks. Young is already the franchise leader in assists as well.

While there were plenty of trade rumors this offseason, Young remains on the Hawks and Dejounte Murray does not. He should continue to put up huge numbers and lead the Hawks' offense, much like he did before Murray was traded for in 2022. While he is clearly the Hawks's best player right now, will he be in 2027? When naming each franchise's best player three years from now, Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey picked Young:

"Over the last few years, conversation around Trae Young has become a lot more about his flaws than the fact that he remains one of the game's best and most consistent offensive engines.

Over the course of his career, only 11 players have a better offensive box plus/minus. No one matches or exceeds both of his totals for points and assists in that stretch. And this month, he turns 26 years old.

Theoretically, he's still a year or two shy of the start of his prime.

With his patience as a ball-handler and vision as a passer, Young is already one of the game's best pick-and-roll initiators, and his feel is only going to improve over the next few years.

Even if he remains a below-average defender, he'll likely still be the face of this franchise (unless he plays well enough for the Los Angeles Lakers to bet the farm on him in a year or two).

Other Contender: Zaccharie Risacher

It's hard to think of a No. 1 overall pick who entered the NBA surrounded by less fanfare than Zaccharie Risacher, but maybe that's a good thing.

Pressure has been an issue for plenty of high draft picks in the past. Perhaps developing in relative anonymity will make it more likely for Risacher to hit his three-and-D ceiling earlier."

While I agree Young will still be the best player, Jalen Johnson's name was not mentioned. Johnson took a significant leap forward this past season and when healthy, he looked like he has All-Star potential. How much he progresses could be what determines the Hawks ceiling over the next few seasons. I would be surprised if he is as good as Young is, but if he is, it would be huge for the future of the franchise. The same could be said about Risacher though.