NBA insider sheds light on potential Trae Young trade for Hawks

The Hawks came into the offseason expected to field trade offers on both of their All-Star point guards in Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.

After weeks of rumors and reports, Atlanta ended up dealing the latter shortly following the NBA Draft. In exchange for Murray, the Hawks received four players and two first-round picks from the Pelicans.

It signaled that the club would build around Trae Young, but there may be other reasons for that as well. Apparently, the trade market for Young has been “chilly” recently, according to Zach Lowe.

“San Antonio has not shown much recent interest in that, sources said. The Spurs understand the potential value of those picks, and they (for now) appear to favor holding them hostage over swapping them back to Atlanta,” Lowe wrote. “The Lakers, too, have shown little recent interest in Young, sources said. That could change if the price drops to L.A.’s liking. But the market for Young is as chilly as it has ever been.”

It’s not surprising that the Spurs aren’t interested. San Antonio signed Chris Paul in free agency, but they also own Atlanta’s first-round pick in 2025 and others. It’s in their best interest to be patient and watch the Hawks from afar. If these last couple of seasons are any indication of what’s to come in 2025 for the Hawks, the Spurs will want those picks.

As far as the Lakers, it certainly has more to do with the asking price and their lack of assets to complete any worthwhile trade. Los Angeles has been spending draft picks and other assets frivolously since LeBron James arrived. Rob Pelinka’s war chest is nearly depleted.

If I’m the Hawks, I’m not accepting an offer of a first-round pick at the end of the decade along with some bench pieces. That’s all the Lakers have to offer. None of this is surprising, though.

I never expected the Hawks to trade both Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, and it became even more clear that wasn’t happening when the Spurs signed Chris Paul. There will be no rebuild in Atlanta without the club owning their first-round picks from San Antonio.

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