Hawks guard Trae Young will forever be tied to, and compared to, Mavericks star Luka Dončić thanks to a 2018 draft night trade between Atlanta and Dallas.
Often, when picks are exchanged in the top five for players who have yet to set foot on the hardwood, there’s a tendency for one team to get a generational player and for another team to miss out.
In this case, the draft night deal between the Hawks and the Mavericks actually worked out for both sides. Atlanta selected Dončić No. 3 overall, and traded him to Dallas for Young, who was the No. 5 pick. Atlanta also received a future protected first-round pick in the deal.
Both players have developed into all-stars and pillars of their respective franchises. However, there’s a narrative out there that Dončić is far and away the better player, which the statistics don’t necessarily support. Warriors star Draymond Green had Young on his podcast, The Draymond Green Show to discuss the narrative around Young and Dončić and their relationship.
“I don’t even stress over it no more,” Young said when asked about the comparisons to Dončić. “Like, I just … I know the real ones get it. I feel like for me, once I win a championship it’ll even open up more eyes to what I’ve really done. Especially to some of my peers that I’m compared with.
“To be honest with you, I have no hate towards nobody, especially Luka. We talk all the time. We got a lot of love for each other, a lot of respect for each other. There’s different agendas and different … the way people look at certain people is different. To be honest, I don’t get caught up into it. I feel like eventually people are going to understand what it is and realize that it’s not that far off. We kind of do the same things. We’re different in size but I mean, he can play. Like I can play, you know what I’m saying? We can both hoop, so at the same time that’s just what it is.”
"It's not that far off... We kinda do the same things."@thetraeyoung talks being compared to Luka 👀
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 15, 2023
Full episode exclusively in the B/R app @TheVolumeSports https://t.co/ShYdlcgLKz pic.twitter.com/flREEcNnTT
As far as the stats are concerned, the comparisons are closer than what the narratives suggest over their five years in the NBA.
Dončić has averaged 27.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.0 assists on 46.6% shooting from the floor and 33.8% shooting from three.
Young, meanwhile, has averaged 25.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists on 43.7% shooting from the floor and 35.1% shooting from three.
