Trae needs another Batman, not a Robin

Nick Kayal discussed the looming offseason for the Atlanta Hawks and why the team needs to go get another superstar, not just a guy that plays off of Trae Young
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The Atlanta Hawks are entering a critical offseason after falling short of expectations in the 2021-2022 season with a first-round exit. They have their star in Trae Young, and he's under contract through 2026, but who could the Hawks put around him? Nick Kayal believes the team needs to go find another superstar, not just another gritty role player.

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"Let's look at what's left standing (in the NBA playoffs)," Nick Kayal said, "Look at Phoenix: Chris Paul and Devin Booker, look at Golden State: Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, look at the Celtics: Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown, look at the Bucks with Giannis, Middleton, and Holiday. Multiple horses, multiple studs."

This is the blueprint to winning at the highest level in the NBA. Every winning team has to have its superstar - and the Hawks certainly check that box - but they also need to have that second guy that picks up the slack when the going gets tough in the playoffs. The Hawks ran head-first into this problem when they took on the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs. Trae Young was taken away, and the Hawks fell off hard as a result.

Sure, there are examples of superstars elevating a strong supporting cast a la Dirk Nowitzki of the Mavericks and Kawhi Leonard of the Raptors, but that is the exception rather than the rule in this league.

"It's not about pieces anymore, it's about the star," Kayal said.

The Hawks won't have the luxury of that player hitting the open market, so they'll have to create that market via a trade. The Hawks also have the assets to get a deal done: plenty of young role players under contract and seven potential draft picks over the next two years. In terms of money, team owner Tony Ressler has gone on record saying that he isn't afraid of going into the luxury tax in order to do it, so the willingness is there.

The looming question: who is it going to be?

Featured Image Photo Credit: © Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports