Hawks considering a way out with Trae Young trade

Trae Young’s Future with the Hawks in Question

It seems that Trae Young’s time with the Atlanta Hawks might be drawing to a close.

According to Tim McMahon of ESPN, the Hawks are reportedly “looking for an exit” strategy concerning their star player. On his podcast “The Hoop Collective,” he suggested that the end of this partnership could be imminent.

“The Hawks have shown clear intentions to move on from Trae Young,” McMahon pointed out, referencing comments from Bleacher Report. “They haven’t made any efforts to secure him with an extension. If he’s supposed to be the franchise’s cornerstone, that sends a strong signal that a change is coming.”

Currently in his eighth season, Young is averaging 19.3 points per game, which is notably his lowest since his rookie year back in 2018-19, alongside 8.9 assists.

Since suffering an MCL sprain during Game 5 against the Nets, Young has played in only 10 of Atlanta’s 33 games. However, it’s worth noting that the team hasn’t won any games since he returned.

McMahon remarked on the difficulty of trading Young, saying, “It won’t be easy. Not a wide array of teams will likely step up to make an offer, and we can’t predict if any prospective trade would bring adequate value in return.”

This potential shift could be monumental for a franchise that has centered its efforts around Young ever since drafting him fifth overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. He secured a five-year, $215 million extension back in August 2021 and has been selected to the All-Star Game four times, yet the Hawks have failed to win a playoff series since reaching the Eastern Conference Finals shortly before his extension, during which they lost to the Bucks.

That postseason saw Young spark a five-game winning streak against the Knicks, a series where he often engaged provocatively with the crowd at Madison Square Garden.

Looking ahead, Young holds a player option of about $49 million for the 2026-27 season.

During the recent Hawks-Knicks game, MSG Network analyst Alan Hearn criticized Young’s performance after a moment where he struggled on the court following a screen, leading to a missed 3-pointer by Jalen Brunson. Hearn questioned, “Is there any hustle or effort? That’s the face of your franchise.”