Trae Young and Luka Doncic have been compared to each other since the 2018 NBA Draft where the Dallas Mavericks and the Atlanta Hawks made a trade involving the two. Since then, they both have been proven stars in the NBA and are making a case to be some of the next faces of the league. However, despite their comparisons and always being seen as rivals, Trae Young recently said on Draymond Green’s Podcast, “It’s not that far off, we kind of do the same things” when talking about their games. Looking back at the trade, would the Hawks do it again?
Sam Crenshaw from the weekends with Sam and Greg said, “People always ask me, who got the better of the trade…I like what we got from the trade.” Dallas is no stranger to international players, most notably, Hall of Famer, Dirk Nowitzki, so Dallas instantly felt familiar for both Luka and the franchise. Young’s chip on the shoulder, competitiveness, and confidence, feels like Atlanta. To Sam’s point, both places feel right for both players.
Looking at it from a career standpoint, these two have a lot in common. Both have led a team to a conference final, both have put up incredible numbers individually, and both are currently trying to get their team to take the next step. So although we love to compare the two and analyze their differences, as Young alluded to, they may have more in common than you think.