Even if the Atlanta Hawks were open to the idea of trading Trae Young, one NBA insider says there are multiple reasons why his damaged value on the market won’t net them anywhere near the kind of return they would hope for.
Without a shadow of a doubt, Trae Young is the face of the Atlanta Hawks and their most talented player. He is what helps put butts in seats at State Farm Arena, eyeballs on Atlanta Hawks broadcasts, and gives them a chance to make the playoffs every season. His value to the franchise is immense.
After the Hawks reached the Eastern Conference Finals two years ago, he was on his way to being considered one of the 10 best players in the sport and among the few untouchables around the league. However, that has quickly changed over the last two seasons as their performance has seen a sharp decline to where they finished with a record at .500.
Along with the decline in performance, there has been an apparent erosion of unity in the locker room as well. The issues with the team have rolled uphill and there is an idea shift going on inside the front office to where the topic of actually trading Trae Young and starting from scratch is in play.
Atlanta Hawks record (’22-’23): 41-41
But while the two-time All-Star is one of the better scorers in the league, a new report claims the Atlanta Hawks would have a lot of trouble moving their top player. On Tuesday, NBA insider Marc Stein wrote about the trade talk surrounding Young and the reasons why he believes a potential trade is highly unlikely this summer.
“My late-April read on Young’s situation before the offseason actually begins for the Hawks, is that he’s unlikely to be dealt even if Atlanta does decide to explore his trade market. It’s simply difficult to see the Hawks finding a palatable deal when Young has four seasons left on a five-year, $215 million contract.
“The feedback you hear from rival teams whenever Young’s name comes up is a firm focus on his reputation as a defensive liability, Atlanta’s two tumult-filled seasons since reaching the Eastern Conference finals in 2021, and the fact that the Hawks are now on their third coach trying to click with Young following the dismissals of Lloyd Pierce and Nate McMillan.”
– Marc Stein
The Atlanta Hawks will be back in action Tuesday night down 3-1 in their first-round series with the Boston Celtics and looking to avoid elimination.