The Atlanta Hawks (24-31) trading Trae Young this offseason still appears highly unlikely going into the All-Star break.
Neither side has given public smoke signals that they are eager for or even open to a divorce. But the rumor mill’s never-ending churn has wrought speculation that the Hawks could explore trade options for the three-time All-Star.
There is a growing list of potential suitors just waiting for word Young is available. With that, let’s explore what the best returns from those rumored suitors would look like.
First up is the rumored top destination, the San Antonio Spurs.
Proposed Trae Young trade lands Spurs’ Keldon Johnson, Devonte Graham
The Stein Line’s Marc Stein reported that San Antonio “tops the perceived list” of potential trade destinations on February 12. That essentially corroborates a report from Action Network’s Matt Moore on January 10 stating Young would indeed be open to such a move.
This hypothetical package from the Spurs could be intriguing for the Hawks next season and beyond.
Moore and Stein noted the presence of big man Victor Wembanyama as the rumored key appeal of the Spurs to Young. In this deal, they would get a pair of perimeter players to help match salary, yes, but also provide value on the court.
Keldon Johnson is a big-bodied wing who averaged 22 points per game for an entire season (2022-23) and is familiar with Hawks star Dejounte Murray.
The two-way threat is in the first year of a four-year, $74 million contract.
Graham offers some scoring punch and quickness at the guard spot that would undeniably be thin without Young to direct traffic. He is in the third year of a four-year, $47.3 million contract, the final year of which is only guaranteed for $2.8 million.
Neither player is on the level of Young, making the logic behind this hypothetical trade a no-brainer from the Spurs’ perspective.
The Hawks would also get precious draft capital to begin plotting out their next course, which could very well include a complete rebuild if they decide to unmoor themselves from Young.
Proposed Trae Young trade lands Lakers trio
The Lakers have maintained an interest in the Hawks star, per The Athletic’s Jovan Buha in August, and could explore that again this offseason.
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor continued his push, saying Young would “welcome” a trade to L.A.
Young has only spoken of wanting to win with the Hawks and even pushed back when presented with the idea that he would have to leave to chase a title. Still, this hypothetical package would follow a pre-existing framework.
The Hawks could very well adjust the player-to-pick ratio with eyes on the Lakers’ 2025 first-rounder that will be available come draft time.
In the scenario above, the Hawks avoid the end of LeBron James’ tenure and could very well be making the pick after Anthony Davis has also moved on. That increases the odds of it being a higher and more valuable selection.
The Lakers would like never bottom out with Young and their ability to recruit.
The Hawks did not want to take D’Angelo Russell back in trade talks around Young’s backcourt mate Dejounte Murray, whose play sparked this latest round of rumored indecision in Atlanta.
Perhaps they would deem he is a better fit next to Murray who has already shown a great willingness to defer offensively and play without the ball in his hands. Russell is similarly better with the ball.
But he has also shown he can play off this season alongside James and Davis.
The Hawks get Russell in the final year of a two-year, $36 million contract and Jalen Hood-Schifino in the second year of his rookie contract.
Rui Hachimura – in Year 1 of a three-year, $51 million contract – is mostly in this deal for salary-matching purposes. But he surprised many with his play since being traded to the Lakers and could do it again in another new situation.
Proposed Trae Young trade lands Nets’ Ben Simmons on Hawks
The Hawks and Brooklyn Nets held talks around veteran guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who the latter traded to the Toronto Raptors at the deadline. Brooklyn was also one of the teams to check on Murray, per SportsNet New York in January.
This hypothetical scenario would send Young in Murray’s place for a package including an all-too-familiar former target.
This idea will likely spark outrage in some Hawks fans. But this is a very different scenario than it was when the idea of adding Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons first made the rounds in the rumor mill two seasons ago.
His game still looks as it did before the injuries began to set in, albeit to a lesser extent.
Cam Thomas is a certified bucket-getter who has struggled to offer much else consistently so far in his young career. Whitehead – the No. 22 overall pick in this past draft – is a 6-foot-7 playmaking wing.
Working against the Nets, in addition to being in the East: they do not control their first-round picks. Most if not all of the draft picks they would send back would come from other teams.
That could lead to an increased cost in terms of players and draft capital to get a deal done.
It could still be a hard sell for the Hawks who don’t get anything close to a replacement for Young’s impact. Unless Simmons makes a dramatic upturn in his production while staying healthy for the rest of the season, the cost might be too steep for both sides.
Proposed Trae Young trade lands Bulls’ Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball
The Chicago Bulls were another team mentioned in connection to a potential Murray trade, and once again it could make even more sense in this instance.
Chicago could be desperate to make a splash after the last three seasons have proven futile in their efforts to build a consistent contender. They entered the season without Lonzo Ball, whose return to the court remains without a definitive timeline.
And Zach LaVine is out for the season, which makes him ideal in this hypothetical scenario.
This is the front office special – the Hawks trade a bona fide All-Star for multiple depressed assets and future flexibility with LaVine, a potential new playmaking guard in Ball, and a bevy of draft picks to help retool the roster.
LaVine is on an almost identical five-year, $215 million contract as Young.
There is also some speculation that part of his decision to shut it down for the year was due to ongoing trade talks between the Bulls and Detroit Pistons, who have the NBA’s worst record.
He is still an All-Star-caliber scorer when healthy, and that is something the Hawks would need in the unlikely scenario Young is dealt away this offseason. LaVine is from the state of Washington like Murray, and the two have a previously existing bond because of that.
Ball’s future is nebulous at best, even if a healthy version would be a lottery ticket.
The final year of his four-year, $80 million contract will also be eligible for injury exemption if he is unable to return to the floor next season. But he and Bogdanovic are not necessary for this concept to work.
This, again, calls for the rebuild-averse Bulls to get desperate. Losing Bogdan Bogdanovic (to better balance out the salary) would also hurt. But it would be an absolute boon for the Hawks in several ways both on the court and in the books.
Proposed Trae Young trade lands Rockets’ Jalen Green, Fred VanVleet
There hasn’t been anything substantial linking Young to the Houston Rockets. The closest we have seen was a rumored interest from the opposition in re-acquiring Clint Capela. But Young was born some eight hours away in Lubbock and is a self-proclaimed “Texas kid”.
The Rockets, armed with several swap options and the Nets’ pick in addition to their own (at least swaps), can put together one of the more intriguing trade packages on this list.
There are fewer draft picks in this hypothetical scenario because of Jalen Green’s inclusion.
The No. 2 overall pick of the 2021 draft, there have been questions about Green’s ability to lead a franchise despite his All-Rookie campaign. Houston even attempted to trade Green for Nets’ swingman Mikal Bridges, per Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer on February 5.
Green is averaging 18 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists this season. He is not a great shooter at just 30.7% from deep this season and 33.2% for his career.
He is still a dynamic, ascending guard who might also benefit from a change of scenery.
VanVleet’s an ideal trade target for the Hawks in this type of longshot scenario, allowing the Hawks to get another starting-level playmaker boasting a 16.5/8.2/3.7 line and slashing .409/.374/.859 on the season.
The final year (2025-26) of his three-year, $128 million contract is also a $44.9 million club option. That essentially makes him an expiring contract next season.
Would Houston be willing to give up those successive picks with their trove of assets?
They can’t control where they will fall. And they would still retain the swap options in other years, retaining some of their future flexibility as well. While arguably the most unlikely of the hypothetical scenarios presented here, this one might be the most mutually beneficial.