Getty Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.
In their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Brooklyn Nets have struggled mightily and now find themselves in an 0-3 hole and on the brink of elimination heading into Game 4.
While the Nets have proven to be a lot better than most expected without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, it is clear that they need a tier-one player to put themselves back into the title picture. One executive told Heavy’s Sean Deveney that if Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young becomes available, the Nets will have an interest.
“Trae Young, if he hits the market, the Nets will be on the phone. But do they have the assets? What are they going to give up?” the executive said to Deveney.
The executive also noted that the key to any trade that results in the Nets bringing another star to Brooklyn will hinge on Ben Simmons’ trade value.
“The centerpiece of all they want to do is Ben Simmons,” the executive added. “If they can get a team who still likes Ben Simmons, they have a chance. But who is going to give up a star player for Simmons?”
Lakers Could Have Interest in Trae Young
Young is in just the first year of a five-year $215 million deal he signed with the Hawks, so it should be noted Atlanta is not obligated to trade him. But there does seem to be a recurring theme with the Hawks this season. Out with the old, in with the new.
Atlanta traded sharpshooter Danilo Gallinari to the San Antonio Spurs for Dejounte Murray in June and just days later sent Kevin Huerter to the Sacramento Kings. Then, mid-season, they fired head coach Nate McMillan and hired former Utah Jazz head coach Quinn Snyder to replace him.
Now facing an 0-2 deficit and on the brink of another early exit, it makes you wonder if the point guard spot could be the next big change in Atlanta. If Young is made available, expect teams to be salivating at the opportunity to land the All-Star guard, including the Los Angeles Lakers.
“They went out and got tradeable pieces. If the Hawks don’t make a move in the summer, the Lakers would be a possibility next season. It would take a lot, and things would have to align just right for that. I also don’t buy that every guy who signs with Klutch is going to the Lakers, that is obviously not the case. But this is one they have been watching,” the executive said to Deveney.
“The Hawks could look into the market on Young, but the thing is, it is not going to be as strong as they’d like. He has flaws, a lot of them, and they’ve sort of been exposed in the last couple of years. I am not sure how many real bidders Atlanta would get if they put him on the market, but it probably not as many as they think.”
Trae Young Voted Most Overrated in Anonymous Poll
Young started his playoff career with a bang. He became the newest Madison Square Garden villain after defeating the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs in a run that would land the low-seeded Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
But since then, Young and the Hawks have not had much playoff success, as they are in danger of getting bounced in the first round for the second time in two years.
In The Athletic’s 2023 anonymous player poll, the Hawks star was the leading vote-getter for the most overrated player in the league.
“As for Young, it should surprise no one that even his fellow players are somewhat skeptical of him these days,” Sam Amick and Josh Robbins write for The Athletic.
“He’s the Atlanta Hawks franchise centerpiece player during this time of great tumult and organizational transition, which means the spotlight will fall mostly on him. Just as it did in a much more flattering way years ago when the Hawks made their unexpected run to the East Finals.”