Trae Young’s trade saga is beginning to heat up with the Atlanta Hawks.
After the star guard returned from an injury, joining his thriving team, the Hawks quickly started to regress as they reworked the multi-time All-Star back into the lineup.
Suddenly, Young is becoming a potential trade candidate for the Hawks.
“The Hawks certainly are indicating that they're looking for the exit ramp with Trae Young,” ESPN’s Tim McMahon said on The Hoop Collective Podcast this week.
“They did not make any attempt to get him signed to an extension. When that's the case with your face of the franchise, that's a pretty clear message that the end could be near.”
Young is currently playing on a $45.9 million salary for the 2025-2026 NBA season. By June 29, he’ll have to decide whether he’s going to pick up his $48.9 million option or hit the open market in July.
If the Hawks are truly ready to move on, finding a deal sooner rather than later would be the wisest decision
Young’s Value is Reportedly Low
One reality the Hawks are facing is the idea that Young’s value would mean the Hawks are selling low if they decide to move on.
"It's not going to be easy," McMahon explained. "There's not going to be some wide array of teams raising their hand and trying to get in on the bidding, and I'm not sure if you're even going to be able to make a trade that's going to bring value in return."
Young has limited action on the court this year, appearing in just 10 games. During that time, he shot 41 percent from the field and 30 percent from three, producing 19.3 points per game. Beyond his scoring, he is dishing out 8.9 assists per game and coming up with 1.0 steals.
While Young is more productive than the average guard, his numbers are noticeably down. He hasn’t averaged fewer than 20 points since his rookie campaign in 2018-2019. And one year after averaging 11.6 assists per game, which led the NBA, that number dipped three points.
The Hawks have a little over one month to figure out their future with Young. There are pros and cons to both sides of making a deal or keeping him on board.
But as the Hawks see their winning percentage dip from 54 percent to 20 percent when Young is on the floor this year, selling at any reasonable cost looks like the logical move, as Atlanta made several win-now moves this past summer.