In the aftermath of another wasted season, Hawks guard Trae Young spoke candidly about his priorities for the next phase of his career. As Young explained on a segment on the ‘From the Point’ podcast, he doesn’t want to leave the Hawks but he knows that time is running out for him to reach another level of his career.
“I want to be in Atlanta,” said Young. “But at the same time, I want to win. I don’t feel like I have very much time to waste.”
Trae’s best stretch so far was during the 2020-221 campaign when he led the Hawks to the Conference Finals after averaging 25.3 points and 9.4 assists in the regular season. His shooting and playmaking completely torched the Knicks and 76ers in the playoffs and put Trae Young’s name on the map as a potential future face of the league.
But since that Cinderella run, the Hawks have fallen on rough times. Even after trading their assets for Dejounte Murray, the Hawks have struggled to gain any traction or momentum in the East and they finished this season as the ultimate losers of the play-in tournament.
With Quin Snyder at the helm now, it’s unlikely that the Hawks will make any panic trades that involve Trae Young. Despite his flaws, he’s still the franchise’s best player and their best chance at turning their recent misfortunes around. So, this offseason, the Hawks will be working tirelessly to build a plan that can lure the right players, but there are already several teams in pursuit of Young, and his future is currently one of the biggest mysteries of the summer.
The Los Angeles Lakers Are Making A Run For Trae Young
While the Hawks have so far rejected the idea of rebuilding the roster, their 10th-place finish this season may force them to reconsider their current strategy. Set to make $120 million over the next three seasons, Trae’s contract does not come cheap and it handicaps any kind of financial flexibility. Between Trae and Dejounte Murray, Atlanta is set to spend nearly $300 million.
Unfortunately, the results have just not justified that kind of price tag. Despite a change in head coach and multiple roster tweaks, the Hawks have been the epitome of mediocre, and this season was one of their worst since the Young era began, with a record of 36-46, including 20 losses at home.
So, while the Hawks are not looking to get rid of Trae, he’s not considered an untradeable asset in the same way as Giannis, Joel Embiid, and Nikola Jokic. Naturally, if he were made available this summer, the Lakers would be among the first to inquire about his services.
For years now, the Lakers have wanted a reliable, perimeter-oriented point guard and they hoped D’Angelo Russell could fill that role for them. But after he proved inconsistent, the Lakers are expected to look elsewhere to beef up their backcourt and Young is the perfect answer.
While Trae’s fate remains unknown, it’s no secret that both sides have mutual interest and it would put both in a better position to succeed going forward. Ultimately, only time will tell if the Hawks are willing to let him go and if the Lakers even have enough to make a compelling offer.
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