Trae Young shouldn't be lumped with Ja Morant, Lamelo Ball

A trio of former all-stars point guards were lumped together in a recent story by ESPN that aimed to answer questions about what's next for LaMelo Ball, Ja Morant and Trae Young.

In one scenario, a Western Conference general manager predicted the three could even be traded for each other: "When there are these sort of unwanted superstars, sometimes they end up getting traded for each other. I wouldn't be surprised if that happens in this case."

It's easy to understand how these three came to be lumped together. They're all point guards who've done very little to impact winning this season. In Ball's case, he hasn't done much winning his entire six-year career. As for Morant and Young, their teams have been better off without them. And in Morant's case, his volatile personality makes him an off-court concern as well.

But here's the thing, Young doesn't belong in the same breath as the other two. As one coach said in the story, "his offensive impact is so great."

There's a case to be made that maybe this year's version of the Hawks are better off without Young, but that remains to be seen. A 1-3 record in four games before he went down with a sprained MCL is hardly a big enough sample size to say he can't add something positive to what they've done since. But even if he can't, we've seen Young win at a high level in the past. We've seen him carry a team to the conference finals. That's something we can't say about the other two, who have fewer combined all-star appearances than Young's four.

Morant has at least been to the playoffs a few times, but even before his struggles of the last two seasons, his availability has been a concern -- due to injuries and suspensions. And Ball has just one winning season his entire career, with no playoff appearances.

If the Hornets or Grizzlies were able to land Young for their incumbent guards, that would be a win. He instantly improves those teams in a way I'm not sure the other two can help the Hawks. His 19.3 career VORP (value over replacement player) is light-years better than Ball at 9.3 and Morant at 11.5. For those reasons alone, he shouldn't be mentioned with the other two.

Chris Paul and Ty Lue weren't speaking

The NBA world is still reeling from news of the Clippers' decision to part with franchise legend Chris Paul, and new details are beginning to emerge about what caused the split.

As our guy Robert Zeglinski wrote, tension between Paul and head coach Ty Lue may have been at the center of it all:

"Apparently, the reasoning behind Paul's late-night release had to do with tension with head coach Tyronn Lue. As a 40-year-old future Hall of Famer who has been around the block more than a few times, Paul reportedly tried to keep Clippers coaches and players accountable as they flounder about at the bottom of the Western Conference. This did not sit well with Clippers leaders, especially Lue, who wasn't even on speaking terms with Paul before his release."

That's unfortunate to hear. If anything you would think Paul to be a useful veteran in the locker room to help push Lue's agenda. Apparently not.

I get the feeling this won't be the last we hear about the split.

Shootaround

• Yes, Chris Paul's release from the Clippers was very much a surprise, but LA probably did CP3 a favor.

• As people try to decipher what Giannis Antetokounmpo's social activity might mean about his future with the Bucks, one report says he long ago requested a trade from the team.

• Former Lakers center Elden Campbell died at 57, Clemson basketball confirmed Wednesday.

• Who is Tom McMillen, the former NBA player mentioned in the Epstein files? FTW has the answer for you here.

This was Layup Lines, For the Win's basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Trae Young shouldn't be lumped with Ja Morant, Lamelo Ball