Young To Los Angeles Rumours Making The Rounds
Since being acquired by the Atlanta Hawks via a draft night trade in 2018, Trae Young has grown into one of the NBA’s best offensive point guards. Across five seasons with the Hawks, Young averaged 25.5 points, 9.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and one steal, on 35.1% three-point shooting in 353 regular-season games. During that period, the Hawks reached the playoffs thrice- including a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021 where they ultimately lost to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Last season, Young averaged 26.2 points, 10.2 assists (second-best in the NBA), three rebounds, and 1.1 steals, on 33.5% shooting from three. The Hawks did what few others could, beating the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament to earn the number seven seed. However, they bowed to the Boston Celtics in the first round despite Young’s 29.2 points, 10.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals averages in six games.
While the former Oklahoma standout is entering the second season of a $215M five-year extension he signed in 2021, there are no assurances he will still be a Hawk in 2027.
“Open For a Trade to the Lakers”
Omar Wilkes of Klutch Sports counts Trae Young as one of his many NBA clients. Which is why it’s no coincidence that the Lakers have had Trae Young on their trade radar for some time now.
Young’s camp has been steadfast in pushing the narrative that “Trae hasn’t requested a trade from the Hawks,” adding that Young likes to play alongside Dejounte Murray. The former Sooner standout wants to see what Coach Quin Snyder can bring to the table for Atlanta following a full offseason. However, those same sources also revealed that Young is very much open to the idea of him being traded to the Lakers.
“If the Hawks decide to tear this thing down and start fresh, he’s open to going to Los Angeles and playing with LeBron and AD.”
This isn’t the first time Young’s future in Atlanta has been questioned. He was involved in a spat with former Hawks Head Coach Nate McMillan – which ultimately led to the Hawks firing McMilan last February.
If the Hawks are indeed pressing the reset button soon, trading Young will be at the top of their to do list.
On the other side, the Lakers exceeded expectations by reaching the Western Conference Finals despite a forgettable start to the 2022-2023 campaign. However, they were swept by the eventual champion Denver Nuggets, with many believing that the Lakers’ lack of response to Jamal Murray at guard was a primary factor in the series loss.
While the Lakers re-acquired D’Angelo Russell off a mid-season trade, Russell was a virtual non-factor in the West finals. Russell averaged a paltry 6.3 points, 3.5 assists, two rebounds, and shot 32.3% from the field. Nevertheless, the Lakers opted to re-sign the former number two pick to a two-year deal this summer. Though insiders have already begun speculating that his continued employment could be more linked to keeping midseason trade scenarios open than a vote of confidence.
With the number of movable pieces the Lakers have, a Trae Young-to-the-Lakers scenario could become a possibility, uniting 3 of the highest profile Klutch clients under the same roof. His acquisition won’t come cheap, and there’s no guarantee Atlanta wants to move on from him, but like most rumours linked to the Lakers, expect this one to continue to make the rounds well into the 2023-24 season.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.