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The Atlanta Hawks were quiet as the NBA trade deadline passed on Thursday, but they reportedly could be more active in the offseason.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, there are “several front offices that listened to Atlanta’s pre-deadline chatter and came away from conversations with the Hawks of the belief Trae Young could become available for trade this summer.” The Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs were named as teams that would be interested in Young.
Fischer noted that the prospect of trading Young “could very well prove to be wishful thinking from rival teams.” If the Hawks do decide to move on from Young, San Antonio is “one spot other than Los Angeles that’s repeatedly been mentioned by NBA figures as a potential home” for him because the Spurs are seeking a pick-and-roll partner for star rookie center Victor Wembanyama.
Young leads the Hawks with 27.1 points, 10.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The 25-year-old has been the face of the team since he entered the NBA as the No. 5 draft pick in 2018, but it sounds like a change of scenery could be on the horizon for him.
The Hawks were believed to be looking to move Young’s backcourt mate Dejounte Murray at Thursday’s deadline. However, Fischer reported that Atlanta has “messaged since the beginning of this trade period that the front office was not absolutely resigned to trading” the 27-year-old.
At 22-29, the Hawks rank 10th in the Eastern Conference. The team is hoping to turn things around in the second half of the season, as its remaining schedule strength ranks 19th in the NBA, per Tankathon.
The Hawks will be back in action On Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers.