On Sunday evening, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that there is "a growing belief" around the NBA that the Atlanta Hawks are more open to trading Trae Young (subscription required) than they've ever been. He became eligible to sign an extension this past offseason, but the team didn't approach Young's camp about one. Since then, the 27-year-old's future has been a hot topic of conversation.
With the trade deadline less than six weeks away and the Hawks' play since Young returned to the lineup after missing a month and a half with a knee injury, speculation is growing on what Atlanta will do with Young. In the five games he played before he got hurt, the team was 2-3. In the five games he's played since returning, they're 0-5.
Without Young this season, the Hawks are 13-9.
Stein discussed Young's future after referencing Chris Haynes' Dec. 26 report that Atlanta is "very intrigued" by trading for Anthony Davis. Haynes said a deal for AD wouldn't involve Young, but that doesn't mean a trade won't happen, even if it doesn't include Young going to Dallas.
As Stein noted, the Hawks shouldn't want to take on the remainder of Davis' contract with the possibility that Young could opt into his $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season.
Will the Hawks trade Trae Young before the Feb. 5 deadline?
Atlanta and Young are at a crossroads. The front office had a busy offseason, adding players that complemented their star point guard, most notably Kristaps Porziņġis. Speaking of Porziņġis, though, he has played only 13 games this season. He's been out for almost a month due to illness. Hawks fans haven't gotten to see what they thought they would out of the Young-Porziņġis duo.
Not only is it a possibility that Atlanta could move on from Porziņġis before the deadline (or at least try to), but the clock could be ticking on Young's time with the organization.
You can't solely look at the past five games and conclude that it's time for the Hawks to trade Young, as you can't fault him for the fact that the team is winless since his return. He's averaging 20.8 points and 10 assists per game.
His three-point shooting has been inconsistent, ranging from 7-of-9 against the Bulls to 0-of-4 against the Knicks, but he's still shooting 39.4% in the games he's played this month. Before he got hurt, he was shooting 19.2% from three.
You can't ignore the stark difference in the team's defense with and without Young, though. When he was sidelined, Atlanta had a defensive rating of 113.2, 13th in the league. The team's rating since his return is 123.4, 29th in the NBA.
His size (six-foot-two) and defensive limitations could result in the Hawks not getting as much as they'd want for him in a trade. Oh, that and the fact he's due for a new deal. Those two factors could keep him in Atlanta, at least until the offseason.
It's impossible to predict what will happen at the deadline, especially after what took place last season, but a Young trade is a possibility. You should've already known that, but Stein's report is certainly worth noting.