Trae Young Trade Rumors: Hawks 'Closely' Monitoring Star's Commitment, Habits

Atlanta Hawks officials are "continuing to closely monitor Trae Young's day-to-day commitments and his habits on a day-to-day basis on the floor, off the floor," according to Stadium's Shams Charania.

The report comes as Young's future with the Hawks has quickly become a subject of speculation.

The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor reported Monday that Atlanta's front office "has the green light from ownership to do whatever it wants to with the roster, which includes considering trade opportunities involving [Young]."

The two-time All-Star was circumspect when addressing the story in an interview with The Athletic's Joe Vardon. He said that "stuff like that comes out all the time" and it "could be false, could be true, you never know."

Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes first cast some doubt on Young's long-term fate in Atlanta when he reported in December that the 6'1" guard "could be the next player on a rookie max extension to request a trade if the team doesn't make inroads come postseason time."

If nothing else, the Hawks are sending a message by allowing this narrative to grow when the season isn't even over yet. Atlanta faces off with the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament Tuesday.

Atlanta presumably wouldn't need to "monitor" Young's commitment on and off the court if team officials weren't concerned about him on that front. Even if general manager Landry Fields has no intention on following through with a trade, it appears he wants to see more from his best player.

The criticism isn't totally undeserved, either.

Young averaged a career-high 10.2 assists during the regular season, but his scoring average (26.2) and shooting efficiency (42.9 percent overall and 33.5 percent on threes) were both down from the year before.

The 24-year-old also clashed with head coach Nate McMillan before McMillan was fired in February. This was the second time he wasn't exactly on the same page with his coach, though he wasn't alone in that regard with Lloyd Pierce.

Reaching the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals was supposed to be a launching pad for the Hawks. Instead, they lost to the Heat in five games in the first round of the 2022 playoffs and may not make the 2023 postseason at all.

Young is partially culpable for that. CBSSports.com's Bill Reiter reported on the franchise's internal turmoil in March:

"Starting with the locker room, it's no secret there's a serious disconnect between Young, the team's star player, and many — though some say nearly all — of his teammates. He is not beloved, sources say, and there's a strong view that Young fails to lead, to understand or care to understand what is required of him, and that as a result the team will never achieve what it should until that reality is fixed."

No matter how this situation evolves, the Hawks figure to be a regular source of intrigue this offseason.