Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
While the Atlanta Hawks have the chance to add a future star after landing the No. 1 pick in Sunday’s NBA draft lottery, it sounds like there’s a chance that player won’t be playing alongside star point guard Trae Young.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported during the lottery that there’s a high probability of the Hawks including Young in trade discussions this offseason.
“They had Dejounte Murray in trade talks. I think the possibility of trade talks including Trae Young in this spring and into the summer are very real, too,” Wojnarowski said.
Young has three years remaining on his contract, the last of which is a player option. He’s set to make $43 million in the 2024-25 season, so the Hawks could look to shed his expensive salary and build toward the future.
The Hawks entered Sunday’s draft lottery with just a three-percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick. After the cards fell their way, they could look to reset the franchise by trading away Young and building around the player they select at the top of the draft.
Young was named to his third All-Star Game as an injury replacement this season and finished the year with averages of 25.7 points, 10.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game. However, he was limited to 54 games due to a finger injury, and Atlanta suffered in his absence on its way to a 36-46 record.
The 25-year-old has been floated in trade rumors involving the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. It would be difficult for either one of those teams to acquire a player with such a hefty salary, but the prospect of adding Young could be too enticing to pass up.
It’s clear that Young will be one of the most talked-about players this offseason as the Hawks try to make a decision on his future with the team.
Comments are closed.