Trae Young Rumors: Hawks See Trading Star PG 'Unpalatable' amid Dejounte Murray Buzz

If the Atlanta Hawks decide to go all-in on a rebuild leading up to the trade deadline, don't expect Trae Young to be part of any moves made by the front office.

Per ESPN's Zach Lowe, the Hawks consider trading Young "unpalatable" as they try to figure out the short- and long-term direction of the franchise:

"Trading from a position of weakness is painful. If flipping Young is unpalatable—and sources said that indeed remains Atlanta's stance—then trading Murray (among other moves) might be their only method of restructuring the roster and the cap sheet. Such inevitability might make it hard for the Hawks to get even 80% of what they traded for [Dejounte] Murray."

Murray has been a popular trade candidate leading up to the Feb. 8 deadline. The Hawks are reportedly seeking two first-round picks in return for the 27-year-old, per The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor.

The Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs are among the teams that have been connected to Murray, though it's unclear how serious the interest is from any of those clubs.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported on Wednesday there is "skepticism" within the Heat organization about making a push for Murray.

If the Lakers are going to make a deal for Murray, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype noted it would likely have to include D'Angelo Russell, but a third team would almost certainly have to be involved because the Hawks don't consider Russell's playing style as a good fit with Young.

Atlanta has been consistent in not wanting to move Young under any circumstance. Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported on Jan. 5 the two-time All-Star was considered "untouchable" in trade talks.

Young has two more guaranteed years and $89 million remaining on his contract, plus an early termination option for 2026-27. He will earn $48.97 million in the final season of the deal if he decides not to exercise the option.

Even though Young is averaging a double-double for the second straight season, including a career-high 10.9 assists per game, his efficiency has plummeted with a 42.7 field-goal percentage since the start of the 2022-23 campaign.

The Hawks have climbed back up to the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference after back-to-back wins over the Spurs and Orlando Magic, but their 17-23 record doesn't indicate a team capable of being a dangerous playoff threat.

Young, Murray, De'Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanović and Onyeka Okongwu are all signed through at least the 2026-27 season. The Hawks have $198.1 million in cap commitments next season as presently constructed.