The Atlanta Hawks were already going to have to make a decision on Trae Young.
He's set to be a free agent at the end of this season (assuming he declines a $48.9 million player option), and there's a world in which the Hawks don't try that hard to bring him back.
It all has to do with what's happening right now. Young hasn't played since spraining his knee on Oct. 29.
In Young's absence, the Hawks have gone 7-2.
ESPN also shared that the Hawks rank fourth in defensive efficiency in the NBA with Young out, and they've never finished better than 18th in a season since they've had Young.
"I think the Trae Young situation is fascinating," a Western Conference executive told ESPN. "They're a totally different team with and without him."
The key to the Hawks with Young out has been Jalen Johnson. The former Duke forward has turned into a triple-double threat every time he takes the floor.
Johnson has looked like a face of the franchise-level player with Young out. And that's a game-changing reality.
Young is uber-talented, a great scorer and passer. But in his time in the league, he's never impacted winning to the extent you'd expect for someone with his numbers.
The Hawks' ceiling with Young probably isn't as high as they'd like. And this injury is giving them a chance to realize that letting Young walk may not be that bad an outcome after all.
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