The New Orleans Pelicans dropped their ninth straight game to the Atlanta Hawks 117-100, but nothing that happened on the court was the story of this matchup. Instead, it was an in-game trade the Hawks pulled off, sending Trae Young packing to Washington in exchange for Corey Kispert and CJ McCollum. This trade officially ends an era in Atlanta, as they now look to build a new identity around emerging superstar Jalen Johnson.
BREAKING: The Atlanta Hawks are trading four-time NBA All-Star Trae Young to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/WIf8rhrRFu
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 8, 2026
The Hawks' front office decision to part ways with Young is one the Pelicans' front office should draw inspiration from when it comes to Zion Williamson and his future with the team. Williamson has spent seven years with the Pelicans, one fewer than Young spent with the Hawks. So, hopefully, for Pelicans fans' sake, this trade serves as a wake-up call that it's time to end the Zion era.
It's unheard of for a team to trade a four-time All-Star and get back zero draft capital, but the Hawks were willing to take whatever they could get to earn a fresh start. And it appears that might be the approach Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver have when it comes to Williamson, as it was reported not too long ago that the organization would take the first decent offer for him.
Two very similar career arcs
Both players are incredibly talented offensively and were drafted with the expectation that they could be franchise saviors, and a coach could mold the team's offense around them. But over time, it became clear that, due to their immense defensive deficiencies, their offensive output isn't really worth it. This is a realization that took Atlanta eight years to come to, and New Orleans is close to trending in the same direction.
Despite Williamson averaging an impressive 22.5 points this season, the Pelicans hold a 5-18 record through the 23 games he's appeared in. This is very comparable to the Hawks' 2-8 record when Young has played this season.
The Pelicans also have their own version of Jalen Johnson in Trey Murphy III, who is clearly taking the mantle as the team's next franchise focus and best player. The Hawks were able to clear the runway for Johnson to be the guy by moving on from Young, and the Pelicans should look to do the same for Murphy III.
Moving Young allows the Hawks to play with a defensive focus that better fits their personnel and coaching staff and has proven to lead to winning basketball. As 30 of the last 40 NBA champions had a top-five defensive rating. If the Pelicans can move Williamson in a similar fashion, it would give the team the chance to run a free-flowing swing-heavy offense that sees rookie Derik Queen thrive as an offensive hub.
If the Hawks were able to end the Trae Young era, there isn't a universe in which the Pelicans should continue to hesitate to do the same with Zion Williamson.