Tony Ressler says he and the Atlanta Hawks' front office would make the same decision they did in June of 2018 when they traded down from No. 3 and chose Trae Young and a future first round pick that became Cam Reddish from the Dallas Mavericks over Luka Doncic.
Both Young and Doncic had promising rookie seasons.
“I have to be honest, but I didn’t think Luka would be this good,” Ressler said prior to Saturday’s game. “I didn’t think Trae was going to be this good. They are both better than I expected. I think they’re both really special players and have a shot to be for a really long time if they stay focused. I think this trade is going to have a nice, long history of discussion. I wouldn’t completely, again, declare success or whether we won it or lost it today because I do think both teams have someone they can really help build around for years and years to come.”
The Hawks feel they have the makings of a long-term core now with Young as the centerpiece, John Collins, Kevin Huerter, De’Andre Hunter, Reddish and Bruno Fernando.