Atlanta Hawks traded their franchise star Trae Young to the Washington Wizards this season, nobody really expected it. It was widely discussed in recent years, but Young was still the face of basketball in Atlanta, leading the franchise to a Conference Semifinals appearance in 2021. As the concerns about his health and inconsistencies grew, there was really no indication that the Hawks would give up on him, as he was still capable of being an elite offensive threat. But according to Young himself, the writing had been on the wall for months. Speaking on The Pivot Podcast, Young admitted that he had already sensed Atlanta was preparing to move on ever since the previous offseason. Disappointments in recent years created an atmosphere that, he reveals, was unlike anything he had experienced before, making him all the more wary that his time with the franchise was nearing its end. _“That was a trade that I knew was going to happen if I didn’t come out the season, the gates, playing well. And I got hurt, my teammate fell into me and even the summertime before when we got the schedule, I’m like, ‘I know this beginning part of the season is very tough, like, me and Porzingis, if we don’t come out good, they’re gonna trade us and they’re gonna rebuild,’”_ Young shared. _“So I kind of knew after I got hurt. You can feel the energy around the building and in me, it’s like, I’ve been there seven and a half years now. This is my eighth year and it ain’t really felt like this. So I kind of knew it was coming,”_ he continued. In hindsight, Atlanta and Young’s relationship was really past its expiration. After their 2021 Eastern Conference finals appearance, the Hawks failed to build on their success and lingered in mediocrity as questions about Ice Trae began to emerge. Atlanta’s front office tried to build a contender around Young, but they ultimately failed to find the right formula to surpass, or even equal, their success in 2021. What made things worse was the guard’s knee problems, which contributed to his inconsistencies. The once-promising relationship between the two parties finally ended abruptly a