Hawks roll to 117-110 victory over Pelicans as word of Trae Young-to-Wizards trade breaks
The game in Atlanta was supposed to be a midseason measuring stick. It turned into something closer to a franchise pivot point.
As the Hawks closed out a 117–110 win over the Pelicans, the arena buzzed less about the final score and more about reports that a framework was in place to send Trae Young to the Washington Wizards. The timing was jarring: a team long built in Young’s image delivering one of its more composed performances on the very night word spread that its centerpiece could be on the move.
On the floor, Atlanta looked strikingly balanced. The offense flowed with quick decisions, multiple ballhandlers initiating sets, and a steady diet of drive-and-kick action that punished New Orleans’ late rotations. Without the gravitational pull of a single dominant creator, the Hawks leaned into committee basketball, getting meaningful contributions from starters and bench pieces alike.
For the Pelicans, the loss highlighted familiar concerns. Their half-court offense stalled for stretches, and defensive communication wavered as Atlanta spread the floor and targeted mismatches. Despite flashes of star-level shot-making, New Orleans struggled to string together stops when it mattered, a worrying trend for a team with postseason ambitions in a crowded Western Conference.
The larger story, however, is what a Young-to-Wizards trade would signal for the league. Young is not just another high-usage guard; he is a former All-NBA playmaker whose deep shooting and pick-and-roll command have defined the Hawks’ identity. Moving him would mark a dramatic reset, shifting Atlanta toward a more egalitarian model and placing pressure on its front office to build a coherent core around length, versatility, and defense.
For Washington, acquiring Young would represent a shortcut out of a prolonged rebuild, instantly raising its ceiling and relevance in the Eastern Conference. It would also reshape the guard hierarchy in the East, where established contenders would need to account for another elite offensive engine.
On a night when the Hawks showed they can thrive with a shared burden, the franchise may have simultaneously stepped into an uncertain, transformative future.
As the Hawks closed out a 117–110 win over the Pelicans, the arena buzzed less about the final score and more about reports that a framework was in place to send Trae Young to the Washington Wizards. The timing was jarring: a team long built in Young’s image delivering one of its more composed performances on the very night word spread that its centerpiece could be on the move.
On the floor, Atlanta looked strikingly balanced. The offense flowed with quick decisions, multiple ballhandlers initiating sets, and a steady diet of drive-and-kick action that punished New Orleans’ late rotations. Without the gravitational pull of a single dominant creator, the Hawks leaned into committee basketball, getting meaningful contributions from starters and bench pieces alike.
For the Pelicans, the loss highlighted familiar concerns. Their half-court offense stalled for stretches, and defensive communication wavered as Atlanta spread the floor and targeted mismatches. Despite flashes of star-level shot-making, New Orleans struggled to string together stops when it mattered, a worrying trend for a team with postseason ambitions in a crowded Western Conference.
The larger story, however, is what a Young-to-Wizards trade would signal for the league. Young is not just another high-usage guard; he is a former All-NBA playmaker whose deep shooting and pick-and-roll command have defined the Hawks’ identity. Moving him would mark a dramatic reset, shifting Atlanta toward a more egalitarian model and placing pressure on its front office to build a coherent core around length, versatility, and defense.
For Washington, acquiring Young would represent a shortcut out of a prolonged rebuild, instantly raising its ceiling and relevance in the Eastern Conference. It would also reshape the guard hierarchy in the East, where established contenders would need to account for another elite offensive engine.
On a night when the Hawks showed they can thrive with a shared burden, the franchise may have simultaneously stepped into an uncertain, transformative future.
