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With the NBA trade deadline still weeks away, one name has begun to dominate league chatter: Trae Young.
Once viewed as the unquestioned centerpiece of the Atlanta Hawks, the 27-year-old guard now sits at the center of mounting speculation about whether the franchise is preparing for life without him.
“The Hawks certainly are indicating that they’re looking for the exit ramp with Trae Young,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said on a recent episode of The Hoop Collective. “They did not make any attempt to get him signed to an extension. When that’s the case with your face of the franchise, that’s a pretty clear message that the end could be near.”
That sentiment has echoed around the league.
Veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein suggested Atlanta may be more open to a blockbuster move than ever before.
“There is a growing belief leaguewide that the Hawks are more open to trading [Young] away than they’ve ever been, but what happens to their payroll if no such trade materializes and Young winds up exercising that option? Can the Hawks dare to find out by trading for Davis this winter without Young exiting at the same time?” Marc Stein wrote in The Stein Line.
The on-court data only complicates matters. During Young’s extended absence earlier this season, Atlanta played its most fluid basketball. The ball moved quicker, the offense flowed freely, and the Hawks piled up assists at a league-leading rate.
Since Young’s return, the numbers suggest the ball has slowed, touches have increased, and efficiency has dipped in key areas, all while defensive problems have intensified.
MacMahon summed up the reality of a Trae Young trade succinctly.
“It’s not going to be easy,” MacMahon said. “There’s not going to be some wide array of teams raising their hand and trying to get in on the bidding, and I’m not sure if you’re even gonna be able to make a trade that’s going to bring value in return.”
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