Trae Young could be on the move soon.
Over the past week, the four-time All-Star and his agents, Aaron Mintz, Drew Morrison and Austin Brown, have been in discussions with the Hawks about finding a trade. ESPN CEO Shams Charania reports this on Monday.
Young, who has been with Atlanta with the Mavericks since 2018, is “open-minded” about playing for another team, according to ESPN NBA writer Marc Spears.
“I don’t think he’s asking for a trade, but I don’t think he’s telling either [the Hawks] to not trade him,” Spears said on “NBA Today” on Monday. “I hear he’s open to a move… I think he’s definitely open to a new uniform,”
The 27-year-old, a face of the Hawks franchise, has spoken to the organization about his future in recent months, even as Atlanta opted not to offer him a contract extension. The guard is due just under $46 million this season, with a $49 million player option for 2026-2027.
It’s been a tough season for Young, who has played just 10 games due to various leg injuries, including a right MCL sprain early this year.
He is shooting a career-low 30.5 percent on 5.9 attempts per game – also a career-low – from beyond the arc. Young is also averaging 8.6 assists per game, which is down from his career best of 11.6 a year ago.
Young played the last five games with a right side contusion and last played against the Knicks on December 17 in a 128-125 loss. He recorded nine points and shot 0-for-4 from deep, but had 10 assists and two steals in 31 minutes.
In his eight years in Atlanta, Young made a big mark.
As the franchise’s all-time leader in three-pointers and assists, he led the team to the playoffs three times, including a big run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021 in which they lost to the Bucks in six games. Young cemented himself as a villain at Madison Square Garden during the first round of five matches that year.
However, that history appears to be being cast aside as the team looks set to welcome a new era, with the December 15 deadline approaching.
The Hawks (17-20) will likely lean on guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who is averaging a career-high 20.7 points, as well as the emergence of 24-year-old forward Jalen Johnson, who is averaging 24 points, 8.5 assists and 10.2 rebounds per game on 52 percent shooting from the field.
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