Trae Young speaks candidly on Hawks trade rumors: 'We got to be better'

Trae Young isn’t mincing words about the trade rumors surrounding the Atlanta Hawks (17-23). 

They’re not easy to deal with. But he and his teammates must continue to find ways to keep their focus on the court.

“I mean it's important that you block out the noise,” Young said on the “From The Point by Trae Young” podcast on January 17. “But it's – I mean you gonna hear. It's not like we don't hear. It's not like we all aren't aware of what's being said about each of us outside the locker room.”

“But that's where I feel like we got to be better as far as just for each other, and I think we have in certain moments throughout games. But just not even worrying about that. Worry about what we have going on right now. Because we can only control we can control and in the NBA. We can only control so much and for us as players.”

Young has largely escaped this round of trade chatter, but his name was a hot topic once.

Despite his insistence on bringing a championship to Atlanta and his influence on moves made to that effect, Young has been bandied about in trade rumors throughout his career.

This cycle has focused most on teammate Dejounte Murray, whom Young was instrumental in bringing to Atlanta, making it known it was something he wanted. Both sides did. And Murray, who has largely avoided talking about the rumors around him.

He did note to Marc Spears of Andscape that his “teammates love” him after the Hawks’ game on January 15.

Murray has also said he’s worked too hard to let the noise of trade rumors affect him.

“I think it's hard being in those situations,” Young said. “It's hard hearing your name being talked about going somewhere else. And you could be moved here whenever. You could be in the middle of a game and be traded. I've been a part of teams where that's happened, and it's not easy.”

The Hawks are no strangers to trades and roster shakeups, with just five other players who were on the roster that went to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020-21: Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Bruno Fernando, Clint Capela, D’Andre Hunter, and Onyeka Okongwu.

“For us as a team, we just have to figure it out as this process is going,” Young said. “I think what we've been doing is being just pros about it, and guys have been pros about the situation.”

That would have to include Head Coach Quin Snyder who, like Murray, sidestepped questions.

“Just focus on what we can control, and that's just trying to win games for each other and playing good,” Young said. “Because at the end of the day … you're always being watched. And so if you continue to win, that's going to matter before you leave. So I think it's just about making sure you're a pro throughout the whole situation.”

The latest rumblings have Murray linked to at least eight teams ahead of the February 8 trade deadline, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype on January 17.

Some have also been said to be looking elsewhere amid typical trade deadline subterfuge.

It's not just Murray either, with everyone but Young and Jalen Johnson consistently mentioned as being off-limits. Okongwu and rookie No. 15 overall pick Kobe Bufkin have also been named among that group in some rumors.