Updated Anthony Davis Trade Rumors and What It Means for Hawks' Trae Young
If the Atlanta Hawks decide to move on a trade for Anthony Davis, Trae Young would be unlikely to be included as part of the outgoing package.
NBA insider Chris Haynes reported on Friday that the Hawks "remain very intrigued" by the possibility of acquiring Davis from the Dallas Mavericks, but any such deal "would not involve" Young.
Haynes noted the Mavs would pursue a trade built around young assets, draft picks and expiring contracts for Davis.
Any deal for Davis prior to the Feb. 5 trade deadline could hinge on how healthy he is. The 10-time All-Star left the Mavericks' Christmas Day game against the Golden State Warriors due to a groin injury, but he is only expected to miss a few games.
It's unclear how serious the Hawks will pursue Davis. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints noted they have explored the possibility, but rival teams are skeptical that they "would sacrifice the assets and (Kristaps) Porziņģis' expiring deal for Davis."
Young has also dealt with injury issues this season, but he recently returned to Atlanta's lineup on Dec. 18. He is averaging 29.0 points on 52.1 percent shooting and 10.0 assists per game in his last three starts.
The market for Young if the Hawks were to make him available is hard to figure out because of his limitations on defense that makes some people around the league concerned about how much he can impact winning.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on Dec. 18 that the Hawks weren't entertaining offers for Young at that point because they wanted "see what they have" when he returned from his knee injury.
Atlanta didn't extend Young in the offseason, meaning he could potentially become a free agent next summer if he turns down his $49 million player option.
Young would solve the Mavericks' issue at point guard to raise the floor for the offense as they build around Cooper Flagg.
The injury issues for Young and Kristaps Porziņģis have contributed to Atlanta getting off to a disappointing 15-17 start this season. Since there's no definite timeline for Porziņģis to return to action after being diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, it's unclear when the Hawks might have their full complement of players available.
That scenario does open the door for the Hawks to make a trade for Davis to fill the void in the frontcourt. They still have six weeks to evaluate their current roster before deciding on what path to take at the deadline.
