Spurs about to get ultimate Trae Young confirmation after latest report

Trae Young will make his Washington Wizards debut on Thursday night against the Utah Jazz, and the San Antonio Spurs will finally have confirmation that they made the right decision in not trading for him. Even if Young plays incredibly well and the Wizards win, there’s always a ceiling to what he can do on the floor.

It’s inevitable that the Jazz will exploit him on the defensive end. Every team does. It’s built into every scouting report when Young is on the other side: Attack him in the pick-and-roll and get him involved in every action. Even a tanking team like the Jazz will have its players do it.

So, regardless of the result, Spurs fans will get to feel good about themselves.

If (and when) Trae Young struggles on defense in his Wizards debut, Spurs will feel good

Young had a rough season this year. When he was healthy, the Atlanta Hawks looked like a sure-fire lottery team. When he was out, they looked like a team that could compete for a Play-In spot.

That alone was enough of an indictment of Young’s fit on a winning team. It’s possible. He can help a team win. But it’s very hard to build around him effectively.

For years, the Spurs were linked to the Hawks in regard to a potential Young trade. As soon as there were signs of Young’s breakup with Atlanta, people began speculating about a Young-Victor Wembanyama pick-and-roll duo.

On the offensive end, that would be spectacular. Young’s shooting and playmaking would pair nicely next to Wembanyama. But defensively, it would be a mess.

Obviously, the Spurs ended up trading for De’Aaron Fox and drafting Dylan Harper in the span of months, eliminating the need for Young, who was eventually traded to the Wizards.

Now, the Spurs will get to see what Young can do outside of Atlanta. Will he revert to the same issues? Will the Wizards be able to turn things around?

Again, it doesn’t actually matter. Young’s defensive issues likely stretch beyond the city walls of Atlanta. Plus, the Spurs are an incredible team without Young.

San Antonio is the second seed in the East. It’s not like they’re sitting around wishing they could have done something differently. They’re a championship contender.

They have built an amazing roster around Wembanyama and look poised to be one of the best teams in the NBA for a long, long time.

All Thursday night will do is confirm what the Spurs already know: They made the right decision when they chose to pass on a trade for Young.