Trae: 'Pain of staying the same' outweighed uncertainty in Hawks exit

Trae Young bid farewell to the Atlanta Hawks in a post Friday morning on social media.

The four-time All-Star was officially traded to the Washington Wizards on Friday and expressed some disappointment about not finishing the job with the Hawks.

"Bringing a championship to Atlanta was always my goal," Young wrote. "However, between the injuries, the setbacks, and situations that didn't make sense, we never truly got to see our full potential.

"The city that raised me and taught me so much will always be a chapter in this story ... However, the pain of staying the same eventually outweighed the uncertainty of change. Change is often met with fear, but I see it as another opportunity."

Atlanta acquired Young's rights from the Dallas Mavericks in the famous Luka Doncic trade on draft night in 2018.

Young developed into one of the NBA's top scorers and facilitators during his eight-year tenure with the Hawks, averaging 25.2 points and 9.8 assists across 493 appearances.

The Oklahoma product had three top-10 finishes in the scoring race and posted a career-high 11.6 dimes per game last season to claim his first assists crown.

Young's 4,837 assists and 1,295 made threes are both franchise records. Despite his individual success, the Hawks won just two playoff series, reaching the East finals during the 2020-21 campaign.

Young was also a major liability on the defensive end. Atlanta surrendered 13.9 fewer points per 100 possessions this season when Young wasn't on the floor.

Multiple injuries limited Young to 10 appearances this season. The Hawks were 2-8 with Young in the lineup and 16-13 without the All-NBA guard.

Atlanta opted to build around emerging star Jalen Johnson, who stepped up in Young's absence. Meanwhile, Young gets a fresh start in the nation's capital with a rebuilding Wizards squad.

Young holds a $49-million player option for next season.

"I'm walking into this next chapter ecstatic, with my head high and eyes forward," Young wrote. "It's time to see what's possible when the support is real and the vision is clear. We move."