Trae Young was diagnosed with a torn ligament in his pinky finger on Sunday, and it was announced that he would miss at least four weeks of action as he recovered from surgery. It is unclear exactly how many games will be left on the schedule for Atlanta when he makes his return, but there is one former NBA player who thinks that Young shouldn’t play another game in a Hawks uniform…ever.
NBA: Could Trae Young Eventually Want Out Of Atlanta?
Breaking: Trae Young suffered a tear of the radial collateral ligament (RCL) in the fifth finger of his left hand Friday.
He will undergo surgery on Tuesday and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. Atlanta is currently in the last play-in spot. pic.twitter.com/RBrt3d0Hlr
— ESPN (@espn) February 25, 2024
Young has been one of the top producers in the league during his now-6 year career. He is a three-time all star who has averaged 27+ points in every season since his rookie year, and while his three point percentages aren’t impressive, he is one of the players in the league with a full green light from “Curry” range.
But while Young has been one of the up-and-coming stars of the league, his team hasn’t exactly matched his rise. The Hawks missed the playoffs in each of his first two seasons, as the team failed to win 30 games in either. And while they’ve qualified for the postseason in each of the past three years, they don’t have a whole lot to show for it.
There was the 2020-21 season, which marked the team’s best finish in years as they pushed the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks to 6 games in the Eastern Conference Finals. But it’s been one-and-done since, as the Hawks have been eliminated in the first round in each of the past two seasons.
Cousins Says Young Is Wasting His Prime Playing For The Hawks
DeMarcus Cousins on Trae Young:
“I hope this is the last time we see him in a Hawks uniform. I feel like his talent is being wasted, his prime is being wasted.”
(via @Rachel__Nichols, @jacksoncaudell) pic.twitter.com/WUMw0pX77G
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 27, 2024
Young hasn’t openly expressed any frustration or desire to play elsewhere, but former NBA superstar Demarcus Cousins has spoken up on his behalf.
On his podcast Bully Ball that he shares with Rachel Nicholes, Cousins said that he feels that Young’s talent is being wasted in Atlanta, and hopes that we have seen him in a Hawks uniform for the last time.
Any move would likely come via a forced trade. Young is in the second season of a five year, $215 million deal, one which pays him $43 million in 2025.
There is still time for Trae Young to play again this season. If he is in fact able to return after the four week time frame, then he’ll have a couple of weeks of regular season games to play. And if the Hawks are able to hold to to the 10th seed in the East, they’ll have at least a shot of pulling an upset in the Play-In Tournament.
Atlanta currently has a record of 25-32 and are 3 games up on the 11th place Brooklyn Nets.
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