Trae Young's NBA Trade Value Debated by Insiders Amid Rumors, 'Ultimate Floor Raiser'

NBA insiders are split over whether Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young would draw a higher trade return than the Charlotte Hornets' LaMelo Ball or Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks.

One Eastern Conference scout who ranked Young the highest of the trio told MacMahon and Marks: "He's just small and doesn't play any defense."

Another Eastern scout told MacMahon and Marks that Young "might just be the ultimate floor raiser, which has its value."

"But he's definitely imperfect," the scout added.

A Western Conference head coach meanwhile told MacMahon and Marks that Young's "offensive impact is so great," but expressed hesitancy about the players that would need to be moved to match his outgoing salary.

Questions about Young's trade value come as the 27-year-old, who is playing on the last guaranteed year of his contract before deciding whether to take his player option for next season, is sidelined with a sprained right MCL.

After a 2-3 start to the 2025-26 season with Young in the lineup, the Hawks have gone 12-5 and improved on defense since he suffered his injury on Oct. 29.

The team's success without Young, combined with the lack of an extension for the star guard this offseason, has raised rumors he could be placed on the trade block ahead of this February's deadline.

Young is playing on a cap hit of just below $46 million this season. He also holds a player option worth just under $49 million for 2026-27.

Should he sign a maximum deal, his next contract could come out to a four-year, $230 million agreement worth $58 million per season, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

Windhorst reported back on Nov. 7 that there would be some additional "leverage" for Young on his next contract if the Hawks' offense struggled while he was injured.

"If the younger Hawks keep their heads above water, it might inform decision-making in the other direction," Windhorst wrote at the time.

The Hawks' record since that report could potentially have damaged Young's trade value, especially after opposing teams watched Atlanta struggle to build competitive teams around the star guard for the last few seasons.

Atlanta may need to wait for Young to return and resume contributing on offense in order to build his trade value back up before potentially shopping him this winter.

The Hawks said on Nov. 29 that Young would be re-evaluated in about two weeks, putting his next update around approximately Dec. 13.