The Washington Wizards reportedly want draft capital to absorb Trae Young’s contract into the team, which should be a non-starter for any trade discussions. While the Atlanta Hawks are working with Young on a trade before the deadline, the team cannot afford such a rash overpay.
Marc Stein first reported that the Hawks likely would have to send picks to the Wizards for Washington to seriously consider the trade. Just minutes later, however, Stein updated the wording on his article to read, “it remains to be seen whether the Hawks would also have to send the Wizards draft capital as a measure to convince them to absorb Young's contract or if Washington would be making a direct play for Young.”
It is unclear whether Stein’s original reporting was simply an error during a hastily-typed report (the Trae trade news poured in quickly on Monday night), or if an additional source corrected his reporting. Regardless, the Wizards appear to be asking for picks, while the Hawks are in no rush to move on from Young.
If push comes to shove, the Hawks should remain put
The problem with Washington’s demands is that there is no rush for Atlanta to move on from Young. He is still a valuable player who is a perfect fit on this Hawks team, and midseason trade value is infamously much lower than offseason value.
If no team is willing to trade a first round pick for Young, it is safe to assume that no team will offer him a max in free agency either. This all but guarantees that the Oklahoma product will pick up his $49 million player option for next season. With Young under contract for 1.5 more years, Atlanta can peruse the trade market with the understanding that they do not need to make a move this month.
With this context in mind, the Hawks have no reason to attach a pick to Trae. If the Wizards ultimately pull out of the deal, no harm is done. Young would remain a Hawk, and the team would still have the talent to make a legitimate playoff run (assuming they address the backup five position).
The only advantage of trading Young is that the Hawks would clear nearly $50 million in cap space. This obviously has its benefits, but there aren’t many intriguing free agents who the Hawks could feasibly sign next year – even without Young on the books.
Luckily for Hawks fans, they have one of the NBA's sharpest minds running the front office. Onsi Saleh has repeatedly refused to buy into similarly tempting traps, haggling Dyson Daniels' extension down to a reasonable $25 million annually and refusing to extend Young or Kristaps Porzingis. With Saleh at the helm, it is unlikely the Wizards will be able to extract a first round pick alongside the former All-NBA player.