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NBA insider Marc Stein says it’s “hard to imagine” the Atlanta Hawks finding a way to keep Trae Young on the roster if they pursue a trade for Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis.
Stein wrote Sunday that “there is a growing belief leaguewide that the Hawks are more open to trading [Young] away than they’ve ever been.”
That could be complicated by the fact that Young holds a $49 million player option for 2026-27, per Spotrac.
“What happens to their payroll if no such trade materializes and Young winds up exercising that option?” Stein wrote. “Can the Hawks dare to find out by trading for Davis this winter without Young exiting at the same time? Hard to imagine that.”
Stein’s report comes after NBA insider Chris Haynes said Saturday the Hawks “remained very intrigued” by a potential trade for Davis.
“If a deal was able to materialize between the Hawks and the Dallas Mavericks, I was told it would not involve Trae Young,” Haynes said Saturday.
Haynes indicated this was because the Mavs aren’t interested in acquiring Young, who turned 27 in September.
The Mavericks are instead looking for expiring contracts, draft picks, and young players like 2024 top pick Zaccharie Risacher, according to Haynes.
Davis is playing under a cap hit of $54.1 million this season. He is signed on for one more season at about $54.5 million and holds a $62.7 million player option for 2027-28, per Spotrac.
Young is meanwhile playing this season under a cap hit of just below $46 million. ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted he will get another $394,440 added to his salary if traded this season.
In order to get out from Young’s contract while bringing in Davis’ deal, the Hawks and Mavericks would theoretically involve both players in a multi-team trade.
Marks recently proposed a five-team trade that would send Davis to the Hawks and Young to the Sacramento Kings while also involving the Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons and Sacramento Kings.
Marks’ proposed trade involved sending Kristaps Porzingis to the Warriors. Porzingis could be a likely trade candidate both because of his expiring contract and because of the salary cap room that could be opened by moving his $30.7 million cap hit, per Spotrac.
Both Young, who missed time this fall with a knee injury, and Davis, who is currently sidelined by a groin injury, have struggled to remain available this season.
The Hawks and Mavs, respectively, could see potentially both players increase their trade value if they can stay healthy in the weeks leading up to the Feb. 5 trade deadline.