As if tonight’s play-in game between the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks needed any more drama, recent reporting suggests that the relationship between Trae Young and the Hawks could be coming to a boil.
According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, how the Hawks approach the offseason could be determined by a postseason that begins tonight in Miami.
“With the offseason approaching, league sources say the Hawks’ front office has the green light from ownership to do whatever it wants to with the roster, which includes considering trade opportunities involving All-Star point guard Trae Young.”
Funny how the timing works out the day before Atlanta tips off tomorrow night. With this rumor out there, it begs the question: Depending on how these playoffs shake out, would Miami take a look at Young this offseason?
I’ll get right to the point: I do not want Young on Miami next year.
Personally, I have never been a Young fan. Young has the ball in his hands too much and his relationship with previous coach Nate McMillan a troubling indication of his personality.
That’s the book on Young across the league. Locally, we have seen what Miami has done to Young in the playoffs last season and for that matter, in the regular season as well. The Heat annihilated Young’s Hawks 4-1 in last year’s first round and, despite the changes Atlanta has made, are 3-1 against them this season heading into Tuesday night’s play-in game.
Young in Miami would be a mixed bag on both ends of the court. Defensively, Young struggles due to his lack of size and effort. It’s unclear if even Heat coach Erik Spoelstra would get Young to buy in on defense.
Still, Young would bring a lot to the Heat’s offense. He would give Miami someone who can pull up from deep and hit 3s and expertly run the pick-and-roll. On paper, Bam Adebayo and Young would form one of the most formidable pick-and-roll partnerships in the league.
What about the Jimmy Butler fit? My guess is that Miami would ask Butler how he would feel about playing alongside Young. The basketball fit with those two would be tricky, Young likes to have the ball in his hands a lot and push the pace. When the offense runs through Butler, it goes at a much slower, methodical pace.
Beyond the fit, there’s the matter of compensation. The Heat have two first-round picks (and three if they unlock protections on one owed to OKC), Tyler Herro and other contracts to build a package around. Does that even move the needle for the Hawks? Probably not. Atlanta could definitely get a better package than Herro, Duncan Robinson, and a bunch of picks.
With all of this considered, Miami should look past Young and see what else is out there.