Hawks' Young: Doncic trade 'worked out for both teams'

Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young understands the hype surrounding the man he was traded for -- Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic -- in last summer's draft, but Young sees the deal as a win-win for both sides. "Luka's having a really good year so far," Young said Monday on ESPN's The Jump. "And for me, all I do is try to focus on myself and my team. I know it's easy to say, but I'm really dedicated to working extremely hard every day for my teammates and things like that.

"... And I think at the end of the day it worked out for both teams. That's how I look at it. I mean, Luka's doing really well. I feel like I'm doing really well as well." Asked who's going to be a better player in five to 10 years, Young replied, "In my eyes, it's not a question -- it's going to be me. But that's just the competitive nature in my blood, and I think that's the no-brainer with me."

The Hawks drafted Doncic third overall in June before trading his rights to the Mavericks for the rights to Young -- drafted fifth overall -- and a protected first-round pick. Doncic, who turns 20 in February, is averaging 20.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game and became the youngest player in NBA history to have a triple-double with 35-plus points on Sunday against the Toronto Raptors. It was his second triple-double of the season.

Young, 20, is averaging 16.2 points, 7.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game in his first professional season. Doncic began playing professionally in 2015 with Real Madrid. Young also said he stays in touch with Doncic after the two were friendly during the pre-draft process.

The two teams have already played both of their games against each other this year, with each team winning its game at home. Young had 41 points and 15 assists across the two games, while Doncic had 45 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists. --Field Level Media

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