Luka Doncic's record-breaking season has made him the talk of the league. This led ESPN's The Jump to ask fellow sensational rookie Trae Young who he thinks will be the better player after the dust and hype settle.
"In my eyes, it's not a question—it's going to be me," Young responded when asked who will be better in 5-10 years. "But that's just the competitive nature in my blood, and I think that's the no-brainer with me."
The connection between Young and Doncic goes beyond the high expectations. In 2018, the Atlanta Hawks used their third overall pick to draft Doncic. However, the organization preferred Oklahoma stand-out Trae Young. This led to a draft day trade that sent Doncic to Dallas for Young and a future protected first-round pick.
In hindsight, critics can make a case that Atlanta got the short end of this deal. Although Young is averaging an effective 16.4 points per game, this is a far cry from the 20.5 points Doncic is putting up for Dallas. Also, Young's shaky shooting percentages—making 40.2 percent from the field and 29 percent on threes—pales in comparison to Luka's 43.4 percent and 35.5 percent.
Yet, despite this, Young feels like the move was benefited both franchises. "I think at the end of the day it worked out for both teams," Young said. That's how I look at it. I mean, Luka's doing really well. I feel like I'm doing really well, as well."
And even though Young says he and Doncic "keep in touch," the level at which the two are playing, the draft-day drama, will forever link them. It will be interesting to see how the careers of these pending NBA stars pan out.
