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Perhaps the Atlanta Hawks will look to trade Trae Young this season before he makes a decision on his 2026-27 player option.
But that would require a trade market that might not be in place.
Insider Ryen Russillo revealed he asked an NBA executive for a breakdown of the trade market for the Atlanta Hawks guard and got quite the response (17:44 mark).
“It’s hard to think of a team that’s trying to win this season that Trae would help, especially once you factor in what that team would be losing from the players they would have to send back as matching salary,” the executive said in response. “He doesn’t defend. He doesn’t rebound. Guys hate playing with him.”
Sam Amick of The Athletic also reported the trade market could be “minimal” this season, which may delay a decision until the upcoming offseason.
“League sources say the Hawks, who saw so many promising signs during that Young-less stretch, are more open to discussing deals for him than ever,” Amick wrote. “Yet in the absence of clarity regarding legitimate suitors, and with league sources indicating that Young’s market is widely considered minimal, it remains entirely possible that the Hawks will have to handle his situation in the summertime.”
This comes after an uptick in Young reports during the last week.
On Monday, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported on The Hoop Collective podcast (six-minute mark) that “the Hawks certainly are indicating that they’re looking for the exit ramp with Trae Young.”
Yet MacMahon reported he doesn’t believe there will be a strong trade market for the guard, echoing the comments from the executive and a report from insider Chris Haynes that the Dallas Mavericks wouldn’t be interested in getting Young back in return if they traded Anthony Davis to Atlanta.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported Sunday “there is a growing belief leaguewide that the Hawks are more open to trading [Young] away than they’ve ever been,” but it doesn’t seem like that interest is being met with a bidding war.
Young is a headline player with a resume that includes four All-Star selections and six straight seasons of 24 or more points per game. He led the NBA in assists per game just last season and can extend opposing defenses with his ability to launch from well beyond the arc.
Yet his defense has always been a concern, as has efficiency in the 10 games he has played this season.
Young is shooting just 30.5 percent from deep in 2025-26, which is a percentage that is low enough to counter some of the value he provides on offense by drawing so many defenders away from the basket.
He is also a ball-dominant playmaker, so any new team would have to find ways to adjust to his style of attack on the court. That would presumably be more difficult on a contender since there are likely already impact players in place who are spearheading the winning efforts.
There will surely be plenty more noise surrounding Young leading up to the Feb. 5 trade deadline, but an actual deal may be easier said than done given the reported opinion of the guard around the league.