Trae Young gets training session in with rival 2-time All-Star, trade candidate

There are significant doubts about the Atlanta Hawks’ ceiling as currently constructed. Their fit around three-time All-Star figures to be improved, though how much of an impact that will have on their record remains unclear since they are still retooling their roster for the 2024-25 season.

In the meantime, Young is getting ready for the upcoming campaign with some summer runs in California, where he lives and trains in the offseason.

Young was seen in his latest run alongside Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine.

The video, originally shared by Handle Life on Instagram on August 19 offers a glimpse of what life could be like for the Hawks if they made an (admittedly unlikely) inquiry into LaVine’s availability via trade during the season.

LaVine has been on the trade block for the better part of two seasons and comes with a litany of red flags for an organization already dealing with enough to force a retool.

Most notable among LaVine’s issues are his injury history and contract.

He appeared in 25 games in 2023-24, averaging 19.5 points per game on 57.8% true shooting, both of which were his lowest marks since at least the 2019-20 season. He is also owed $138 million over the final three years of his five-year, $215.1 million contract.

Still, LaVine averaged 24.8 points on 60.7% true shooting while appearing in 77 games in 2022-23.

Zach LaVine would be a risky trade target for Hawks

He had season-ending foot surgery amid trade rumors linking him to the Detroit Pistons.

The Bulls also sent out offers to half of the league only to be rejected, leaving both sides in an awkward limbo where they are ready for a change. A slow start out of the gate for the team could fuel that desire.

Cobbling together a trade package could also prove tricky, likely costing the Hawks some combination of two of Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela, and DeAndre Hunter as a base.

All three Hawks have come up in trade speculation.

LaVine’s flashed a higher defensive ceiling than what he has shown consistently, though concerns about the pairing with Young could amplify his deficiencies in that regard. His skill set makes him a dangerous off-ball threat.

He would also add an above-the-rim element that the Hawks are otherwise light on.

However, the financial commitments and risks the Hawks would inherit outweigh most of the potential positives of adding LaVine in a trade, even if the Bulls are giving him away