Multiple NBA insiders suggest Hawks could trade Trae Young

The offseason for the Hawks just went from 0 to 100 really quickly. We already knew trade speculation was going to be rampant, with most expecting Atlanta to deal one of their All-Star guards Dejounte Murray or Trae Young. Either way, there didn’t seem to be a lot of promising outcomes for the Hawks, who don’t really have the option to totally hit the reset button because they don’t own their future first-round picks after acquiring Murray in a trade a couple of offseasons ago.

However, the future of the organization just might have been saved yesterday afternoon when the ping balls fell their way, With just a 3% of winning the lottery, the Hawks landed the #1 overall pick for the first time since 1975. Even without a clear #1 prospect in this year’s class, having the top selection opens up a slew of opportunities for Landry Fields and company. Still, most expect them to move one of their star guards, with multiple NBA insiders recently reporting that trading Trae Young is very much on the table.

“They had Dejounte Murray in trade talks. I think the possibility of trade talks including Trae Young in this spring and into the summer are very real, too,” ESPN’s lead NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski said during the NBA lottery yesterday.

“Their choice, and the Hawks’ ascent to No. 1, immediately casts a further uncertainty about this unsettled class of players,” writes Jake Fisher of Yahoo! Sports. “Atlanta was already widely anticipated to be one of the more active teams of the offseason, having explored the trade market for All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray prior to February’s trade deadline, league sources told Yahoo Sports. And there’s a growing belief among rival teams that this summer will also put All-Star Trae Young on the league’s trade block. Perhaps Atlanta will look to attach the top pick to one of those players in their upcoming trade conversations.”

The Hawks are in a position where they have to evaluate all of their options in an attempt to elevate the team further up the ranks in the Eastern Conference, which, as we’ve seen this postseason, is wide open. The only thing that is overwhelmingly evident is the fit between Murray and Young has not worked. Expecting that to change in year three would be foolish. One of them must go, and if the Hawks can get a king’s ransom for Trae Young, they’d be foolish not to entertain the possibility.

I would venture to guess the preference among the Hawks front office and Atlanta fans is for the Hawks to attempt to build around the trio of Young, Jalen Johnson, and their shiny new #1 pick. That’s a young core that could potentially bring some excitement back to the franchise.

However, a lot of it will depend on the offers. Dejounte Murray has been a much better player when Trae Young isn’t on the floor. He’s more than capable of being the starting point guard on a team that can contend in the Eastern Conference, and by moving Young, they could start stockpiling future draft picks and young assets to build around Dejounte Murray, Jalen Johnson and whoever they select at the top of the draft.