Former Oklahoma Sooners star is about to find himself in a worse situation than the one he was already in
The Sooners legend could be in the same position in a few years.
Trae Young, regarded as the greatest Oklahoma Sooners point guard and currently assistant general manager of the men’s basketball team, now finds himself in a worse position after being traded from the Atlanta Hawks to the Washington Wizards on Thursday.
Trae Young traded from the Hawks to the Wizards could be worse for him
In professional sports, player trades are often intended to improve a player’s circumstances, such as joining a winning team. However, this is not the case with Young, as his move does not place him in a better position to succeed. At least it doesn’t right now.
The Hawks haven’t been a great franchise in helping Young. He’s one of their best players ever, leading in all-time assists and threes, and sixth in points. He took them to the Eastern Conference Finals and made the playoffs twice. The Wizards, meanwhile, haven’t made the postseason since 2020-2021 and have wasted elite talent like John Wall and Bradley Beal.
Right now, this move doesn’t improve Young’s situation, despite any optimism he may express.
“You don’t wanna go somewhere and just expect to lose your whole time there,” Young said during his introductory press conference. “This is a day-by-day process, including the summer time. I can’t wait to bring those guys out to LA to work out with me this summer. You never know. It happened faster than I expected in my last place.”
Young is also now further away from home in Norman, Oklahoma. The good thing is that Washington, if it can get this right, is obviously better set up for the long term. They have some very nice pieces in Alex Sarr and Tre Johnson, the former Texas Longhorns guard. Not to mention, Washington has the fourth-worst record in the NBA right now. That means they have a higher chance at getting the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, where No. 1-3 are thought to be elite, franchise-changing players.
While there’s a possibility this scenario could benefit Young, national perception and team records suggest it is, in fact, a step back for him. Atlanta sits at 19-21, while Washington is 10-27.
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