Ah, February.
The Super Bowl. The start of spring training. NBA All-Star Weekend. MLS. The buildup to March Madness.
It’s not, say, April. Or September. Or even October. But February is a deeply underrated sports month all around.
Quick links: Braves miss out on another pitcher | Tech DC headed to the NFL | Exclusive Q&A with Almiron
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TRA(D)E YOUNG?
Credit: David Dermer/AP
Credit: David Dermer/AP
I woke up Sunday morning, rolled over in bed and fired up the ol’ social media machine. I immediately saw the big sports news from overnight: The Dallas Mavericks had traded superstar Luka Doncic to the Lakers.
My first thought was, “Holy (word that’s not suitable for a family newsletter)!”
My second was about Trae Young.
He and Doncic are, of course, inextricably linked. Atlanta drafted the Slovenian third overall in 2018, then shipped him to Dallas in exchange for Young (the fifth pick) and a selection that later became Cam Reddish.
But I found myself wondering more about the future than the past. Namely …
🤔 How does the Trae Young era end in Atlanta?
Young’s under contract for this season and next. He holds a player option for 2026-27. But his tenure here has been a bit of a mixed bag.
On a personal level, Young perennially puts up All-Star-caliber performances (emphasis on caliber, unfortunately).
Teamwise? We’ll always have the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals run — and a bunch of disappointing seasons, failed experiments (see: Dejounte Murray) and an inability to bring a second (or third) superstar to town.
Jalen Johnson and the rest of the squad surrounding Young showed flashes of brilliance this year, when healthy. It wasn’t so long ago that folks around the league dubbed the team a sleeper in the East.
Still: How much longer does Young want to hang around and hope for the best? It’s hard to believe playing in Atlanta doesn’t play into the relative lack of respect he receives.
And how much longer does the front office want to try to build around him?
🤔 I touched base with Hawks beat writer Lauren Williams to ask if the team would ever consider trading Young.
“As the league showed over the weekend, you can never say never when it comes to blockbuster trades,” she said. “This front office has declined from naming anything on the roster as untouchable.
“But they do have big decisions to make as to the timeline of being contenders. That would likely determine a decision to trade him.”
Fair enough.
If they think they’re close, they’ll keep pushing. If they don’t … it may be farewell Trae, sooner than later.
🤔 Shortly after news of the Doncic trade broke, Young posted the following on social media: “♟️!!”
That’s a chess piece and two exclamation points. Which, naturally, could mean just about anything.
Checkmate in that 2018 draft night trade? Commentary on players being pawns? A signal that his own maneuver on the way?
Maybe he’ll explain after tonight’s game in Detroit. Maybe not.
Either way, we know he’s watching.
What do you think the Hawks should do? Shoot me an email and sound off!
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ON TAP THIS WEEK
Credit: Godofredo A. Vasquez/AP
Credit: Godofredo A. Vasquez/AP
🏈 Super Bowl Opening Night: The event formerly known as media day takes place tonight in New Orleans, with players and coaches from the Eagles and Chiefs fielding questions from journalists and other attention seekers. TV coverage kicks off at 8 p.m. on NFL Network.
The big game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Sunday on Fox.
🏀 NBA action, on and off the court: The Hawks get the national spotlight Wednesday when they host the Spurs, new acquisition De’Aaron Fox and Zaccharie Risacher’s fellow Frenchman, Victor Wembanyama (7:30 p.m. on ESPN).
The trade deadline hits at 3 p.m. Thursday.
🐶 Bulldog basketball: After another humbling loss to a top-10 SEC opponent, Georgia men’s basketball gets a rare nonranked home game when LSU pays a visit Wednesday (9 p.m. on SEC Network).
No. 14 Mississippi State comes calling Saturday.
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NORTH PORT CALLING
The Braves report to spring training exactly one week from today. And it’s looking increasingly likely they’ll do so without a significant addition to their starting rotation.
Jack Flaherty, the best remaining free agent starter, reportedly agreed to sign with the Tigers for two years and $35 million. Which … seems like something the Braves could’ve easily ponied up, but nevertheless.
⚾️ Get caught up: The AJC’s Gabriel Burns has a look at how Atlanta’s competition in the National League East, West and Central spent their offseason.
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WEEKEND RECAP
- Georgia Tech football lost its defensive coordinator, Tyler Santucci, to the NFL.
- Georgia football players impressed at the Senior Bowl.
- Atlanta United reintroduced old friend Miguel Almiron, and the AJC scored an exclusive Q&A.
- The Dream officially announced the signing of 10-time WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner.
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HE’S GOT NEXT
Credit: Photo by Fred Assaf/Pace Academy
Credit: Photo by Fred Assaf/Pace Academy
Tech men’s basketball upset No. 21 Louisville over the weekend. Their future’s looking pretty bright too.
Beat writer Chad Bishop gives us a glimpse at Pace Academy senior Eric Chatfield Jr. — one of the state’s top prospects and a potential Yellow Jacket star in the making.
His backstory includes athletic parents, an accomplished older brother and TNT commentator Kenny Smith.
📈 Boys basketball rankings: Milton back at No. 1
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
Credit: Chris O'Meara/AP
Credit: Chris O'Meara/AP
Falcons running back Bijan Robinson gets a carry in the Pro Bowl flag football game Sunday in Orlando.
The NFC won 76-63.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
Hopefully I break some ankles.
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Thanks for reading to the very bottom of Sports Daily. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.
Until next time.
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