Trae Young Rumors: Hawks Star Unlikely to Be Traded; Rivals Question PG's Defense

The Atlanta Hawks' season could come to an end Tuesday when they face the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series, but that may not signal the end of Trae Young's time on the team.

According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, the Hawks are "unlikely" to trade Young even if they do "decide to explore his trade market."

Stein explained a "palatable" market may not develop for Atlanta given the reality he has four years remaining on his five-year, $215 million contract and the presence of multiple concerns from other teams.

"The feedback you hear from rival teams whenever Young's name comes up is a firm focus on his reputation as a defensive liability, Atlanta's two tumult-filled seasons since reaching the Eastern Conference finals in 2021 and the fact that the Hawks are now on their third coach trying to click with Young following the dismissals of Lloyd Pierce and Nate McMillan," Stein wrote.

Yet there may finally be some stability in place with head coach Quin Snyder.

Young's father, Rayford, tweeted that the head coach has "been the best thing to happen to my son since he entered the NBA."

The upcoming offseason will be Snyder's first in Atlanta since he accepted the job in February and will give him the opportunity to evaluate the roster and perhaps make any necessary changes to build a more consistent team around Young.

Doing so could help turn things around for a franchise that has largely disappointed since reaching the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals.

The future seemed bright at that time with Young as the franchise cornerstone, but the Hawks lost in the first round of the playoffs last season and will likely do so again this season facing a 3-1 deficit against Boston. Throw in the firing of head coach Nate McMillan, and 2022-23 didn't go as planned.

Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported in December that tension existed between Young and McMillan, and Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes noted at that time the guard "could be the next player on a rookie max extension to request a trade."

Yet the latest report suggests the Hawks will look to continue building around the two-time All-Star even after a disappointing stretch.