Within the latest flood of intel from Mike Scotto of ‘HoopsHype,’ the LA Clippers are in the select bunch of teams surveilling Trae Young’s situation with the Atlanta Hawks. It was all speculation following yesterday’s drop from Marc Stein on ‘The Stein Line,’ yet with genuine interest developing, the Clippers are making a grave mistake and must turn around before their wheels are stuck in the mud.
The reason to avoid is relatively apparent: Young is not a winner and lacks a winning play-style. He has played only 27 playoff games in seven seasons, and a chunk of those came in 2020-21, a postseason that ended early.
In the surrounding years, Young has either missed the playoffs or lost in the play-in tournament. There were only so many excuses that could be made for him then, and with a 2-8 record when the four-time all-star is active this season, the Hawks have realized their franchise has subtly shifted direction.
Thus, first-option superstars are to be held accountable, and the Clippers can indirectly do so by reversing the car that is headed towards a trade with the Hawks for Trae Young.
Trae Young's concerns should be convincing enough for the Clippers to avoid him
The LA Clippers have allowed Trae Young’s big name and all-star averages to hypnotize themselves into showing interest. The front office must snap back into reality and evaluate his fit, along with the numbers, to see the clear red flags in adding him.
Moreover, James Harden is likely to stay where he is: the Clippers’ starting guard and primary floor general. If Young does end up in LA, he would be sharing the backcourt with the former MVP, creating defensive weaknesses beyond imagination.
Offensively, the Clippers would lead the NBA in turnovers, as Young has a career average of 4.2, and Harden’s is 3.7.
Thus, the math in pairing Young and Harden does not add up. It is rare for two pass-first, high-usage, defensively-fragile, and turnover-prone guards to co-exist and win. The Sooner legend is a tough shot-maker, but unfortunately, in the NBA, that does not automatically merit wins.
He is certainly worth more than expiring contracts, and a combination of any role player on the Clippers, but the long-term outlook with Young is a world of losing that does not match LA’s culture and identity.
That said, the Clippers should just let the reported teams, the Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks, and Minnesota Timberwolves, lay out the highest bid for Young. If wins are on their mind, LA does not need to be involved.