A new NBA rumor suggests that if the Atlanta Hawks do make a trade for future Hall of Famer Anthony Davis, they won’t have to give up a star player from their roster to get a deal done.
While the Hawks fell short of reaching the playoffs last season, there was a lot of hope about the mostly young roster leaping forward in 2025-26 because of the emergence of up-and-comer Dyson Daniels and Jalen Johnson. Those two, along with 2024 first-rounder Zaccharie Risacher and top star Trae Young, make up an interesting core.
At points this season, ATL has played well, even while Young missed a month of action. However, over the last couple of weeks, they have started to slump, including a current five-game losing streak. Despite the potential of the roster, the Hawks’ defense has become a clear weakness. The 119.8 points they give up a night are bottom 10 in the NBA.
It’s a major reason why they have been linked to various trade rumors, with the most prominent being a potential deal for 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis. There has been some speculation that Young may need to be included to make a swap possible. However, that may not be the case at all.
ATL Hawks Won’t Have to Include Trae Young in Anthony Davis Deal
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, the ATL Hawks are “very intrigued” with the idea of acquiring Davis to help improve their struggling defense. He added that sources told him that Young would not be included in a deal. Dallas allegedly would prefer expiring contracts, draft assets, and Risacher in a deal for the veteran big man.
The news is very good news for the team. Adding Davis — if healthy — to a team with Johnson and Young has a ton of potential. Furthermore, while they would like to hold on to last year’s first-rounder, keeping Daniels is far more important because of his all-around game and the impact he can make on the defensive side of the ball.
Haynes also added that Davis reportedly wants an extension from whatever team he gets traded to before February’s deadline.
