The Atlanta Hawks have been without their star point guard for most of the 2025-26 season and are finding their way to success without him. As rumors swirl around Trae Young, has he already played his last game for the franchise?
Trae Young is one of the most polarizing star players in the NBA, one with massive strengths and equally massive weaknesses. One of the league's best passers and most fearless shot-takers, Young is also a titanic defensive liability and has never found his way to success as an off-ball player.
The Hawks have leaned into a different team identity with Young sidelined due to a knee injury since before Halloween. They are big and long across the lineup, with plus defenders starting at every position and only Luke Kennard a true "target" in the rotation. Jalen Johnson is making his star turn, racking up triple-doubles, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Onyeka Okongwu have made major improvements as well.
Some within the Hawks organization and without have confidence that Young will be able to slot in and elevate the Hawks' offense without torpedoing their defense, and perhaps Young and Johnson are different enough to both thrive. Others understandably think that Young cannot scale next to another offensive star, and that his offensive addition will therefore be more muted and make the defensive step down a bigger issue.
Could the Hawks trade Trae Young?
Could the Hawks trade Trae Young? Such a move does require another team interested in trading for him, but it's absolutely on the table. Atlanta could get in the mix for Giannis Antetokounmpo; they have been linked to Anthony Davis; and there are other disgruntled point guards that Young could be swapped for. Trae Young trade rumors are nothing new, but they do seem to have reached a new level this season.
With Young still sidelined with his knee injury, the unofficial start to the NBA Trade Season will arrive on December 15th, when free agents who signed with new teams this summer are eligible to be traded. That opens up nearly the full trade landscape (a handful of players will become eligible in January) and makes a trade involving any high-dollar player that much more likely.
Rumors will start swirling in earnest, and a Young trade will suddenly come onto the table. If another team comes in with an offer, the Hawks may decide to pull the trigger without going through the rocky reintegration of Young into their current team. And that means that Trae Young may have already played his last game for the franchise.
That game was on November 29th against the Brooklyn Nets, when Young exited early due to injury after seven minutes and six points. The game before he put up 21 points and 17 assists in a loss to the Chicago Bulls, but he needed 22 shots to get there. He did not have a smooth start to the season, only complicating (or streamlining) a decision to trade him.
Trae Young has been an institution of Atlanta sports since he was drafted fifth overall in 2018. He is already the franchise leader all-time in 3-pointers made, is sixth in points and fourth in free throws. In terms of accolades, he is likely second only to Dominique Wilkins since the franchise relocated to Atlanta. It's not an easy thing to move on from him.
Yet Young also has failed to prove that he can elevate a team into true contention, and at this point his weaknesses may be too much to bear. This injury provides an opportunity for the team to pivot -- and they could do that so quickly that Trae Young never plays another game for the franchise.