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Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young was at Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. The All-Star had a front-row seat to the show LeBron James put on and took to Twitter to express how amazing the Lakers superstar is.
James dominated the Warriors in Game 6 from start to finish. The four-time MVP and four-time Finals MVP finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in 43 minutes while shooting 10-of-14 from the field, 2-of-3 from beyond the arc and 8-of-11 from the free-throw line. The Lakers won by a final score of 122-101 to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
The next challenge for Los Angeles will be the Denver Nuggets, who have two-time MVP Nikola Jokic. The Lakers went 2-2 against the Nuggets during the regular season.
LeBron James on the Nuggets: ‘We Give Them a Lot of Respect’
James told Lisa Salters of ESPN that he and the Lakers have a lot of respect for the Nuggets, who are the No. 1 seed in the West. Game 1 of the conference finals is on May 16 in Denver.
“It’s gonna be a great series,” James said. “You got two well-coached teams. They’ve been the No. 1 seed in the West all year long. So we give them a lot of respect. We come in with that series with a lot of respect for Denver and what they can accomplish and what they can do against us. And if we’re not locked in, they’ll put it to us. … We understand what they possess. I know what they possess and we’ll be ready for it on Tuesday.”
The Lakers beat the Nuggets in the 2020 Western Conference Finals in five games at the Walt Disney World bubble.
Trae Young to the Lakers?
According to the latest odds from Sportsbetting.ag, the Lakers have the eighth-best odds (+1200) to land Young this summer. The Oklahoma product is represented by Omar Wilkes of Klutch Sports Group, the same agency James and Anthony Davis are with.
Young signed a five-year, $215.2 million rookie maximum extension with the Hawks in August 2021. He will make $40.1 million next season, $43 million in 2024-25, $45.9 million in 2025-26 and $48.9 million in 2026-27 if he picks up his player option for that season.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reported on April 10 that Young is not untouchable in trade talks. The Hawks lost to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2023 playoffs in six games.
“With the offseason approaching, league sources say the Hawks’ front office has the green light from ownership to do whatever it wants to with the roster, which includes considering trade opportunities involving All-Star point guard Trae Young,” O’Connor wrote. “This should come as no real surprise considering what’s transpired over the course of the season.”
In March, Hawks owner Tony Ressler told The Athletic’s Jeff Schultz he’s neither opening nor closing the door on any players being moved. Months earlier, Shams Charania and Sam Amick reported on escalating tensions between Young and former head coach Nate McMillan, leading to team meetings and questions about Young’s leadership. Players reportedly sided with the coach over their star player. Things got so ugly that TNT’s Chris Haynes reported that Young could request a trade this summer if the Hawks fail to make ‘inroads’ in the playoffs.”
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