NBA Rumors: Trae Young Trade Possible as Hawks Front Office Has 'Green Light'

Trae Young's time with the Atlanta Hawks may come to an end this offseason.

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported team ownership gave the front office a "green light" for the upcoming offseason when it comes to roster moves. That apparently includes an openness to trading Young if another team presents the right offer.

To say these past two years haven't gone according to plan for Atlanta would be an understatement.

Hopes for a bright future were high when the Hawks made the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals with Young leading the way. The sharpshooter looked like the franchise cornerstone to build around for the next decade-plus, with the ability to pull up from seemingly anywhere and silence opposing crowds in crunch time.

However, Atlanta lost in the first round of the playoffs in just five games last season and is headed to the play-in tournament this season. Anything but another early exit would be a surprise.

This season featured the firing of head coach Nate McMillan and Travis Schlenk stepping down as president of basketball operations.

In December, Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported there was tension between Young and McMillan. Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes reported around that same time that Young "could be the next player on a rookie max extension to request a trade."

There is new leadership in charge with general manager Landry Fields, assistant general manager Kyle Korver and head coach Quin Snyder. O'Connor cited league sources who believe Snyder will have final say on personnel decisions this offseason.

Whether that means the departure of Young remains to be seen.

There are flaws in his game, particularly on the defensive end, but the 24-year-old is a high-volume scorer who could be an All-Star on a yearly basis for the foreseeable future. There is always an element of risk involved with trading a player of that caliber, even if it could accelerate a reshifting of the roster into a new era under new leadership.

The situation means Atlanta will be a team to watch this offseason, especially if it loses in the play-in tournament.