The NBA world was rocked to its core on Wednesday night when the Atlanta Hawks dealt away their superstar guard Trae Young. After seven-plus seasons in the ATL, Young has found a new home.
The Hawks traded their former lottery pick to the lowly Washington Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. The 27-year-old had the Wizards at the top of preferred destinations, and he landed right where he wanted to be.
Many in the NBA community reacted to the trade, including Lakers superstar guard and the player Young was traded for on draft night, Luka Doncic. After the Lakers’ loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, Doncic delivered this message to the fellow All-Star regarding the trade.
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“Obviously we came in together and got traded for each other, so it’s been a lot of talk about me and him,” Doncic said. “But we have a great relationship, I have a lot of respect for him. If he’s excited for this new journey, I’m excited for him.”
Doncic isn’t just speaking from afar—he’s lived it. The five-time All-Star was sent from Dallas to Los Angeles nearly a year ago, a move that stunned the basketball world and became one of the most shocking trades in recent sports history.
The Infamous Luka Doncic, Trae Young Trade on Draft Night
Doncic and Young will always be linked. The Hawks drafted Doncic with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, and the Mavericks drafted Young with the No. 5 overall pick. In the trade, the Mavericks acquired Doncic and the Hawks acquired Young and a 2019 first-round pick, which was then used on Cam Reddish.
The two guards immediately made an impact for their respective teams. Doncic quickly became an All-Star and the face of the franchise for Dallas, and the same could be said for Young in Atlanta.
Doncic helped Dallas reach two Western Conference Finals and an NBA Finals appearance in 2024. As for Young, he led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021 and was two wins away from an NBA Finals appearance.
Doncic and Young are arguably the two best players in that draft class.
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