Before the season began, it seemed like Giannis Antetokounmpo would be the most likely star to be traded. Even with that buzz alive right now, the underlying understanding is that teams would have to offer the Bucks a substantial amount for them to part ways with the Greek Freak. Then there’s Trae Young, who is among the top floor generals with a low defensive ceiling. The Hawks used him to dump salary and swiftly moved on, despite Young’s heroics for the franchise.

The discouraging return, justified or not, sent shockwaves. Kendrick Perkins felt the jitters. But it wasn’t because he felt the Hawks took the first return they could get. He feels it’s part of the conversation that European players are setting the new standard for the NBA.

“When we talk and we say, “Oh, hey man, these European guys are coming in and they’re taking over our league. They’re not only taking over our league and setting the example on the floor. They’re taking over our league and setting the example off the floor,” Big Perk said on Road Trippin’.

In Perkins’ defense, he rightly pointed out how international sensations such as Luka Doncic or Nikola Jokic have no off-court controversies. At the same time, the Grizzlies made the decision to open talks for Ja Morant after a series of off-court antics and his impact seemingly decreasing over the years.

What he’s trying to say is that it’s becoming easier to replace American stars.

Perkins feels teams would rather rely on drafts to spot prospects rather than stick with their cornerstones that once offered great promise. Is it relevant to demographics?

Not exactly. There are still players like Paolo Banchero and Cade Cunningham who have cemented themselves as their franchise’s talismans.

Any major decision is strictly affected by circumstances. Jalen Johnson took his opportunity to be the mainstay for the Hawks. Ja Morant lost some of his flair after they started to take a toll on his body. Every case is different.

But one thing is true. American or international, teams are starting to get brutal when it comes to creating their championship window. Trae Young’s case etched that reality.

Nostalgia won’t work for stars anymore

The NBA’s landscape has changed since the introduction of salary caps. Kevin Love felt it’s an unfair mechanism for teams that draft well. But that’s a conversation for another day.

What’s really changed is how strictly teams have to evaluate their chances. If you aren’t slated to compete, there’s no point in paying the stars and wasting your windows. If teams can compete, they will go all-in.

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Trae Young did a lot for the Hawks. Countless ‘cold’ moments, a 2021 ECF run, and he attracted the crowd. However, their offseason acquisitions and Johnson’s emergence shifted the team’s identity. The Hawks were winning while playing with athleticism and tenacity. Trae Young didn’t fit that profile.

That’s the reason the two sides grew apart.

The Hawks winning without Young didn’t diminish what he can do, though. They just saw another direction to win, and focused on building around a particular skillset.

That’s why CJ McCollum’s expiring contract seemed to be tempting. He could help their vision, but next year grants them the flexibility to make a major move.

Tomorrow, if the Nuggets fail to win with Nikola Jokic’s style, they might look to trade him, drop their salary, and start over. Keeping stars without any results to show is equivalent to a wasted year in the business. It’s not that American players are less appealing, but that the margins to experiment have become finer.

The Mavericks traded Luka Doncic. Phoenix parted ways with Kevin Durant. Milwaukee waived Damian Lillard. All of this is because teams can only be patient as long as it’s economically affordable. In other words, if you win while paying your stars, that’s when it feels worth it. Without that, teams would much rather develop talent and wait for their window.