Trae Young Trade Should Serve as an Important Lesson for the Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans shouldn't make the same mistake the Atlanta Hawks did with their franchise star.

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The first trade of the season took place on Wednesday when the Atlanta Hawks traded Trae Young to the Washington Wizards for former Pelican CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. While the Hawks' moving on from Young was expected, many were caught off guard by how little they got in return for the All-Star guard. The fact that Atlanta couldn't get any draft capital in return for their franchise player raised some eyebrows. For the New Orleans Pelicans, however, it should serve as an important lesson when dealing with their own star.

The Hawks learned the hard way the downside of waiting too long to trade their star. Trae Young was entering the final year of his contract and had a player option for $48.9 million for the 2026-27 season. Despite Young being extension-eligible in the offseason, the Hawks didn't offer him a new deal, making his in-season exit inevitable. Even though it was obvious that Young's time in Atlanta had come to an end, the Hawks still started the season with him, only to watch him tank his trade value by missing significant time and not being at his peak when he was on the court.

If Atlanta traded Young in the offseason, they would have surely gotten a better return than the expiring salary of McCollum and an overpaid role player in Kispert.

Pelicans Can't Make the Same Mistake Atlanta Did With Trae Young

The Pelicans are at risk of doing the same with Zion Williamson. Everyone in their right mind knows that the Williamson era in New Orleans is over. It ended when New Orleans drafted two rookies in the lottery, Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. The Pelicans have failed to reach their intended goals during Williamson's 6.5 years with the team. With his injury history and availability concerns, the 25-year-old power forward has worn out his welcome in New Orleans. A fresh start is desperately needed for both sides.

Instead of reading the tea leaves and trading him, the Pelicans are reportedly willing to stand pat through the February 5 deadline. Recent reports are suggesting that the trade buzz surrounding Zion is quiet, and signs are pointing towards him finishing out the season in New Orleans.

This is an obvious mistake. Williamson has been healthy and playing well in the last three weeks. He even returned early from his injury and has been playing back-to-backs, not missing a game in the last 13 games. He looks to be in great shape and has been highly productive.

The right move here is to trade him before things turn for the worse. Selling high on him now could net the Pelicans some draft capital and intriguing future assets. Waiting too long until Williamson suffers another injury or has a fallout with the franchise will only lower his trade value, making him harder to trade.

Joe Dumars & Co. doesn't instill much confidence in the fanbase, but let's hope that they can learn from the Trae Young debacle in Atlanta.