5 NBA All-Stars who will be traded this offseason and where
3. Hawks' Trae Young is becoming the focus of offseason speculation
The Atlanta Hawks are expected to entertain the idea of trading Trae Young in the offseason. Some front office executives believe the Hawks actively want to deal the 25-year-old. With at least two years of team control left on his contract, and a restrictive CBA coming into full effect next season, one has to imagine the market for Young's services would be robust.
Young has put together his most complete season yet for the wayward Hawks. The blame for Atlanta's struggles lies almost entirely with the front office. Quin Snyder is a brilliant head coach. Young has proven that he can go far in the playoffs. Unfortunately, the pieces don't fit. Dejounte Murray has been a prolonged whiff as Atlanta's No. 2 star and the roster's defensive personnel is rather embarrassing.
To date, Young is averaging 26.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 10.9 assists on .427/.371/.858 splits in 36.5 minutes. He is the league's most prolific pick-and-roll playmaker, right next to his draftmate Luka Doncic. Young's ability to manipulate defenders with slick handles and shifting speeds — combined with his game-breaking pull-up shooting range — makes him a premiere offensive engine. In the right setting, Young virtually guarantees a top-five offense. The defense has been better than ever this season, to boot.
We know the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers are circling Young like vultures. The Hawks are on the verge of hitting the reset button and trying to figure out where this era went wrong. Young is, well, young — and he's an elite talent. It's getting harder to build contenders around skinny 6-foot-1 guards, but Young has enough talent to break the mold. Especially if he's paired with the right combination of size, defensive versatility, and complementary shot-making (cough, cough, Victor Wembanyama).