Trae Young has never played with an All-Star. While Dejounte Murray earned that honor before his time with the Hawks, he never reached that level of play in Atlanta.
Young’s detractors love to leave that little detail out of their narratives. Simply put, the Hawks will never accomplish anything without another star. Yes, Jalen Johnson can be that All-Star, but the Hawks still need more.
One thing the NBA isn’t short of is disgruntled stars. Every offseason a superstar forces his way out of a city, and hopefully before Trae Young requests a trade out of Atlanta, the Hawks can acquire one to pair with him.
It seems there’s a non-zero chance Joel Embiid could be that star. If he’s not with the 76ers next season, the Raptors are the betting favorites at +1500 to land Embiid, followed by the Hawks and Rockets at +1800, per Bovada odds.
Joel Embiid is a seven-time All-Star, a two-time scoring champion, and only two seasons removed from winning the MVP award. He has suffered numerous injuries, but he’s only 30 years old. Still, he’s appeared in just 19 games this season, in which he’s gutted through, averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.
7-footers who have struggled to stay healthy don’t suddenly get healthier on the wrong side of 30. He played in just 39 games last season, and his knee has gotten bad enough that he’s considering another surgery on it again. That surgery would likely be a cartilage or meniscus transplant, according to sports medicine doctor Brian Sutterer.
The Hawks would probably be better off keeping what few assets they have instead of trading them for Joel Embiid, in my opinion. However, if he can just get to the postseason healthy, a Trae Young-Embiid duo would be dangerous.
—
You must log in to post a comment.