“If I’m Trae Young, I’m Getting Out”: DeMarcus Cousins Advises the Hawks All-Star to Ditch the Team Before Becoming a “Scapegoat”

The Atlanta Hawks are progressively looking worse with each passing year. Despite having the offensive juggernaut Trae Young, the Hawks have failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs for the past two years. Since their Eastern Conference Finals run in 2020-21, the team has been languishing near the .500 mark, the worst place a team could find itself in—not good enough to win a title, yet not weak enough to end up with a high draft pick.  Their fortunes haven’t improved much this season either, since they are currently sitting in the 11th seed with a 16-23 record.

However, it looks like the team has started looking for upgrades to salvage their season, as Dejounte Murray, De’Andre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu, and Clint Capela have emerged as potential trade candidates. As several Hawks players hit the trade market, should Trae Young also consider seeking a way out? DeMarcus Cousins knows best!

DeMarcus Cousins warns Young about what lies ahead for him

In the recent episode of Bully Ball, Boogie advises Trae Young to whisk his way out of the organization while there is still time left. According to him, if Young remains with the Hawks for too long and the team continues its decline, the 25-year-old guard will have to shoulder the blame for it. “The situation I’m afraid of with Trae Young is he’ll remain there too long. And all of a sudden, he becomes the villain. He’s the scapegoat,” remarked the power forward. Drawing from his own experience, Cousins suggests that when a team starts to crumble, they’ll start looking for someone to blame that downfall on, and it usually starts with coaches and then extends to the players.

Given that the Hawks already parted ways with their previous coach, Nate McMillan, last year to bring in Quin Snyder, the next target for the blame game would likely be Young. “If I’m Trae Young, I’m getting out. As soon as I can,” concluded Boogie. However, this might be wishful thinking, considering Young’s determination to bring a title to Atlanta and the team’s commitment to building around their point guard.

Amin Elhassan brings Hawks’ shortcomings to light

In a recent report, Yahoo Sports Jake Fischer stated that everyone on the roster is on the table for trade except for Young and rising third-year forward Jalen Johnson. The two-time All-Star is only in the second year of a five-year $215 million contract he signed in 2022. Since he still has a few years, the Hawks have the window to assemble a better roster that complements his skillsets. As Amin Elhassan explains, the Hawks’ inability to advance beyond the first round in recent years is due to their failure to make the “necessary adjustments and additions.”

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However, a trade is not entirely ruled out. Young has expressed his desire for a championship, and if his wish stalls, he’ll likely take his ambitions somewhere else.

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