NBA Execs Dish on Trae Young Trade Rumors, Contract Talks Reportedly Haven't Advanced
The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly at least open to listening to offers from teams interested in trading for four-time All-Star guard Trae Young.
Speaking to ESPN's Tim Bontemps, an anonymous Eastern Conference executive suggested that the Hawks aren't completely closed off to the idea of trading Young, saying, "Atlanta is good enough to keep Trae and be good and make the playoffs. But with the [New Orleans' Pelicans 2026 first-round] pick and Jalen [Johnson], Dyson [Daniels] and Zach [Risacher], they'll at least pick up the phone and listen when called."
The Hawks entered the 2025-26 campaign as a popular pick to be one of the top candidates to challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks for Eastern Conference supremacy.
That is because they returned a core of Young, Johnson, Daniels and the 2024 No. 1 overall pick in Risacher, while acquiring Kristaps Porziņģis in a trade and signing Nickeil Alexander-Walker in free agency.
Atlanta is also set up nicely for the future due to the acquisition of the Pelicans' unprotected first-round pick in the 2026 NBA draft. New Orleans has been one of the NBA's worst teams so far this season at 2-6.
Meanwhile, the Hawks are 4-4, including a 3-1 mark without Young, who is expected to be out until at least early December due to a sprained MCL.
Young, 27, is signed through this season with a player option for next season. That means he could conceivably hit unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
Per ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the Hawks are free to sign Young to an extension at any time, however, talks between the two sides have not yet progressed.
The Hawks are seemingly taking a wait-and-see approach to gauge Young's value, and the performance of the team while he is out could conceivably shape their decision.
Young's production is undeniable, as he led the NBA last season with 11.6 assists per game and averages 25.2 points and 9.8 assists per contest for his career.
His defense has always been an issue, but a Western Conference executive told Bontemps that Young is the "engine" that makes the Hawks go offensively, and they are " entirely built around him and his skill set."
That same exec doubted that another team would be willing to sign Young to a max contract in free agency.
Any team that trades for Young would have to sign Young to an extension anyway unless they want him as a rental, and that could conceivably limit what the Hawks could get in return.
However, if the Hawks believe in a core of Johnson, Daniels, Risacher and whoever they get in the first round of the 2026 NBA draft, trading Young and opening up a significant amount of money could be a risk worth taking.
