A new report paints a picture that the Atlanta Hawks are now “likely” to ship Trae Young out of town this summer, and the San Antonio Spurs are a top contender to land his services.
There have been rumblings for nearly a year that the Hawks were pondering a makeover of their roster, and that top star Trae Young’s days with the franchise could be numbered. It’s not surprising because after a breakthrough season for him and the team in the 2020-21 season, he and the roster have seemingly regressed and their current 35-40 record heading into the NBA games today was a low point for recent seasons.
- Trae Young stats (2023-24): 26.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 10.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 37% 3PT
Related: NBA power rankings – Where do the Atlanta Hawks land in our latest rankings
Even if they do land a spot in the 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament, it seems like they won’t have a long stay in this year’s playoffs. And a sideline meltdown between Bogdan Bogdanovic and head coach Quin Snyder on Monday doesn’t bode well for their chances. Change is coming for the franchise and this week, ESPN NBA insider Tim MacMahon claimed for the first time the organization is probably seriously considering life without its top scorer.
“It’s only recently that there’s been legitimate rumblings about the possibility of Trae Young actually being traded,” MacMahon said on the “Lowe Post” podcast. “Only recently has it been something that you would think would be a consideration for the Hawks. And I think this pushes that into the relatively likely scenarios and I do think that’s a potential massive shift.”
Who would be the favorites to make a Trae Young trade this summer?
When it comes to where the three-time All-Star could head this summer, MacMahon opened up one door of speculation.
“That’s a blockbuster deal if it happens, and I can think of one scenario, I have no idea of the thinking on the other side as far as interest but I can think of one scenario we would spend a whole lot of time talking about if that happens,” he said.
When host and fellow NBA insider Zach Lowe suggested it was the Los Angeles Lakers that his guest was referring to, MacMahon claimed that it wasn’t what he was talking about, and after a thought, Lowe realized he meant the San Antonio Spurs, which his guest confirmed was what he meant.
MacMahon admitted that the Lakers would be an option as well, but the pair both felt either destination would be an interesting fit for Young. Rookie of the Year favorite Victor Wembanyama has been outstanding in his first season in the league but he lacks help on the Spurs in a major way. Bringing in Young would make for a dynamite one-two punch in San Antonio next season and the Spurs have the assets to get a deal done.
- Trae Young injury: Was re-evaluated this week following finger surgery in February