Young’s Hawks exit

There are departures in sport that arrive with tiptoeing feet: no slammed doors or scorching statements, but instead a shared recognition that a long-held promise has to finally be let go. Trae Young’s exit from the Hawks is one such instance. Nearly seven seasons after he arrived as their future-altering centerpiece, he leaves as the all-time leader in assists and made threes. He was notably the catalyst of a 2021 playoff run that briefly gave hope of success taking root, and that it never quite did is no indictment to any of those involved. Never mind that it is likewise a reflection of their constant recalibrating around him, and of the ultimate acknowledgment that no further retooling or resetting will lead to lasting progress.

The Hawks’ dilemma was invariably tied to structure. Young’s brilliance was undeniable, his range and audacity redefining what was possible on a given possession. Yet his dominance of the ball and relative lack of size demanded a precise ecosystem: elite defenders, secondary creators comfortable with essentially being exit valves, and a level of continuity they could not sustain for one reason or another. Injuries intervened, roster fits frayed, and patience thinned. Over time, they grew younger and more balanced even as their marquee name remained singular. And when the newer pieces became collectively better without him, the choice, while difficult, became clearer. There was no questioning his impact, but there was likewise no discounting the value of independence from his gravitational pull.

The trade return was, in and of itself, telling in its restraint. The Hawks did not so much seek a replacement star as get some room to breathe. They chose optionality over spectacle, wagering that cohesion and clarity would yield more than just another attempt to force convergence around one transcendent talent. For them, this was a narrowing of focus, an effort to define themselves without constantly orbiting a single point of light.

Meanwhile, the Wizards are embracing precisely that light. They have, for a while now, been suspended between spewing rebuilding rhetoric and acting on the desire to remain visible and relevant. In Young, they acquire a proven offensive engine and, just as importantly, a personality capable of drawing inordinate attention. His comments since the trade underscore reciprocity: a belief that they can rejuvenate him as much as he can revive them. Needless to say, there is both sincerity and risk in the framing. He brings with him injury questions and a net-negative defensive profile that will test them no end. To be sure, they are not chasing immediate contention; they are chasing identity, and in that pursuit, boldness has its uses.

What follows now is a trial period for all involved. The Hawks must demonstrate that balance can compensate for lost brilliance. The Wizards must prove that excitement can coexist with development, and that a franchise player can elevate rather than eclipse a young core. And Young himself, freed from expectations that had grown heavy in red and yellow, must reconcile freedom with responsibility in blue and silver. In a league quick to crown winners and losers, the trade resists easy judgment. It is, instead, a study in timing: of knowing when to let go, when to believe again, and when to accept that advancement can begin with a clean, if uncertain, break.

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.