NBA insider says Hawks’ biggest Trae Young problem is no one wants to play with him

Jeremy Beren

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NBA insider says Hawks’ biggest Trae Young problem is no one wants to play with him image

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Belief is growing around the NBA that the Atlanta Hawks are ready to move on from All-Star guard Trae Young in the coming months.

If Young is moved on or before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, it would be one of the blockbuster trades of the season in the NBA, as the Hawks would be moving last year's assists champion and a player who guided them to the Eastern Conference finals back in 2021.

But the Hawks might have a big problem as they try to trade Young, who has a player option for the 2026-27 season and could be a free agent as soon as next summer.

MORE: Hawks' Trae Young receives trade update amid $215 million contract stalemate

The problem does not necessarily lie in Young's pending free agency. According to Ryen Russillo, teams are hesitant to pursue Young because no one wants to be his teammate.

"It’s hard to think of a team that’s trying to win this season that Trae would help, especially once you factor in what that team would be losing from the players they would have to send back as matching salary," Russillo said, quoting an NBA executive. "He doesn’t defend. He doesn’t rebound. Guys hate playing with him.”

Young is fast approaching a crossroads in his career. Despite averaging 25.2 points and 9.8 assists across eight seasons in Atlanta, Young is not a priority for the Hawks anymore, and he faces a limited trade market amid the perception that he isn't a good teammate.

Only time will tell whether the unnamed executive is correct, and Young will have to change who he is as a player.

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Editorial Team