Trae Young gets reality check with latest surprise decision from Adidas

It wasn't that long ago that Trae Young was considered one of the brightest rising stars of the NBA. Now, the Hawks point guard needs to rebuild his reputation with fans, coaches and shoe executives alike. The news that Adidas will be discontinuing his signature shoe only shows how diminished Young's star has become.

The Trae Young 4 will be the last edition of the shoe to hit the market. Adidas partnered with Young after his high-profile playoff success against the Knicks back in the 2021 postseason. Their hope was that his electric scoring ability would make his signature shoe a financial success.

Adidas decision follows imperfect seasons by Young

The decision by Adidas comes during an offseason that also saw Young linked to a number of trades that would allow Atlanta to move on from the imperfect point guard. He still possesses the ability to be an elite shooter, and his passing ability has long been under-appreciated by fans. The problem with Young is that he doesn't profile as a guard who can hold up defensively at the highest level. His lack of size or quality strength makes it difficult for him to hold up at the point of attack or work against ball screens at the level required to blunt high-quality opponents.

The Hawks tried to give Young the support he requires by dealing for Dejounte Murray to shoulder more of the defensive load. But the franchise accepted the failure of that decision by offloading Murray to the Pelicans this offseason. It's possible Young's stock can rise by getting the ball back in his hands full-time, but that's hardly a recipe for long-term success for the Hawks.

Young's best chance for rebirth as an NBA star is to move to a franchise that will allow him to be their second or third option on offense without much defensive responsibility. That's a narrow path to success for a player with a max contract. He may be stuck with the Hawks—and without a signature shoe—for the foreseeable future.