Trae Young open to partnering with Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio

 The San Antonio Spurs have been rumored to hold interest in potentially acquiring Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks via trade. The veteran guard left the Spurs ahead of the 2022-23 season to team up with Trae Young and the Hawks. 

Yet, according to Matt Moore of The Action Network, Trae Young's camp "would be open" to potentially leaving the Hawks and partnering with Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio. 

"League sources have suggested that Young's camp would be open — if he is traded, which is a significant clause here — to pairing Young with Victor Wembanyama," Moore wrote. "The two teams have already done a big trade for Murray, obviously, and Atlanta would surely be interested in getting back some of the draft picks it sent the Spurs for Murray."

Young has not been rumored to be available via trade. There have also been no rumors linking the Spurs with having an interest in the All-Star guard. However, some of the biggest deals happen behind the scenes. Young would instantly upgrade the floor spacing around Wembanyama while also adding an elite playmaker to the rotation. 

Still, it's unlikely Gregg Popovich would sign off on a trade for a guard who has serious issues on the defensive side of the floor. The veteran coach prefers his teams to be robust defensively. That isn't possible when you're hiding Young on every defensive possession. 

Looking at this from a different angle, though, you can already see the impact Wembanyama is having on the Spurs. Even as a rookie, the star big man is attracting interest from other All-Stars around the NBA. They want to play with Wembanyama. They want to get in on the ground floor and build toward something special. 

Regardless of whether the Spurs trade for Young or Murray, there will be more interested glances from other stars in the coming years. Wembanyama is making San Antonio a destination. It won't be long until top-tier free agents have Popovich's team at the top of their desired locations. That's what happens when you draft a future face of the NBA.