Luka Doncic trade: Did the Atlanta Hawks fumble the bag by opting for Trae Young?

During the 2018 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks made a trade that would end up reshaping the futures of both franchises. The Hawks selected Slovenian guard Luka Doncic with the third pick in the 2018 draft.

Atlanta then immediately flipped Doncic to the Mavericks for the draft rights to point guard Trae Young, the fifth pick, and a protected 2019 first-round pick. That pick turned out to be wing scorer Cam Reddish, who has since been traded to New York. However, it was Doncic and Young's swap that ended up being the real difference-maker.

Both Doncic and Young have already racked up multiple accolades and led their teams on deep playoff runs over their first five seasons. However, Doncic has continued his upward trajectory to the point of being considered a top-five player in the league. Meanwhile, Young is considered to be in more of the top 15 to 25 range. This has led many to call the trade a mistake on Atlanta’s part.

So on that note, here is how Luka Doncic and Trae Young’s careers compare so far.

Luka Doncic’s career so far

Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic

Through 295 regular season games for Dallas, Luka Doncic is averaging 27.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.8 3-pointers per game. Doncic is also shooting 46.2%. The Mavs have a regular-season record of 166-129 with Doncic.

Through 28 playoff games, Doncic has performed at an all-time level. Doncic is averaging 32.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.5 3-pointers per game. He has also shot 47.3% in the playoffs. Despite Doncic's impressive play, Dallas still has a playoff record of just 12-16 with Doncic. However, they have made one conference final last season, in which they lost 4-1 to Golden State.

As for individual accolades, Doncic is a three-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA First Team member.

Trae Young’s career so far

Through 310 regular season games for Atlanta, Trae Young is averaging 25.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 2.6 3-pointers per game. Young is also shooting 43.7%. The Hawks have a regular-season record of just 138-172 with Young.

Through 21 playoff games for Atlanta, Young is averaging 25.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.5 3-pointers per game. Young has shot just 40.2% in the playoffs. The Hawks have a playoff record of just 10-11 with Young. However, they also made one conference final in 2021 versus Milwaukee, where they lost 4-2.

As for individual accolades, Young is a two-time All-Star and a one-time All-NBA Third Team member.

The final verdict

Given their stats and personal accolades, it’s clear that Luka Doncic is a better player than Trae Young. However, so far this has only led to two more playoff wins for Dallas. Young has also led his team slightly closer to the NBA Finals, coming within two games. Meanwhile, Doncic has led his team to within three games of the finals.

Some may argue that Doncic has faced tougher competition than Young as he plays in the Western Conference. But while that may be true, it doesn’t change the fact that neither player has led their team to a title yet.

So yes, every team in the league would likely choose Luka Doncic over Trae Young if given the choice today. However, both players are still franchise cornerstones. So until Doncic leads his team to an NBA championship, it’s hard to say that the trade was an outright disaster for Atlanta.