The Atlanta Hawks ended the Trae Young saga by sending him to the Washington Wizards for Corey Kispert and CJ McCollum. It might not seem like an outstanding return, but the Hawks are expected to improve after the move. Unfortunately, that could decrease the Charlotte Hornets' chances of reaching the play-in tournament.
Charlotte, at the moment, is four games outside the play-in picture after a heartbreaking loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. Still, it isn't too far-fetched to think that the team is capable of making a run to a top-10 seed in the Eastern Conference by the end of the regular season, especially if the collective health of its core trio of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel holds up.
However, currently ahead of the Hornets in the East standings are the Hawks, Chicago Bulls, and Milwaukee Bucks, in that order. The Bucks are always a threat to make a strong push late in the campaign, more so if they are able to bring in reinforcements around Giannis Antetokounmpo.
So, the Hornets might need to overtake Atlanta in the postseason race to secure a berth in the play-in.
A look at the post-Trae Young Hawks
It might sound illogical to say that the Hawks are better off without Young. After all, he used to be the face of the franchise and is just several years removed from leading it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
However, the star guard has worn out his welcome in Atlanta. The squad is 16-13 this campaign whenever he sits out games. And its record with him suiting up is just 2-8.
Jalen Johnson has emerged as a reliable No. 1 option for the Hawks. Meanwhile, without Young, their offense looks more cohesive, and their defense has been much stouter.
The addition of Kispert should only help improve their offense, thanks to his efficient shooting and malleable style of play. McCollum also figures to be a helpful acquisition because of his veteran leadership and ability to light it up from the perimeter and break down defenses when needed.
It remains to be seen what the aftermath of the seismic Trae Young trade is going to be like for the Hawks. But if they indeed turn out to be better, that spells bad news for the Hornets.
Of course, one way to look at it is that Buzz City controls its own destiny. Regardless of what moves other postseason contenders in the East decide to make, it can only rise in the standings by taking games more seriously. Still, tougher competition lowers the organization's margin for error. For now, it appears that the Hornets' postseason aspirations are going to take a massive hit.