The Atlanta Hawks will have to decide who'll stay on the squad from their talented backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. Given the assets the Hawks gave up for Murray, Trae might be the choice to be moved to recoup that cost.
The Hawks star has been in trade rumors to the San Antonio Spurs over the last season and fans believe he's teasing a move to the Spurs with his latest Instagram story.
We can't really confirm what team's jersey Young is wearing but it seems like he's repping the iconic white of the Spurs. The black and grey trim around the neck further proves that Young is wearing a Spurs jersey. Idolizing that franchise while growing up in the 2000s is understandable given the incredible achievements of that franchise.
In a 15-year span, the Spurs won five titles from 1999 to 2014. Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan were constants on all five of these championship teams, though Young would have watched Tony Parker win Finals MVP in 2007 as their point guard.
There has been reported interest from San Antonio in acquiring Trae but we'll have to wait and see how it plays out after the Hawks received the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft lottery, opening up a potential pairing of Trae with projected No. 1 pick Alexander Sarr.
How Can The Spurs Land Trae Young This Offseason?
The Hawks winning the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 Draft Lottery was a stroke of luck but it depends on how the team maximizes this opportunity. This is their first No. 1 overall pick of the lottery era, with the team last picking at one 49 years ago.
Young and Sarr would make an interesting combination, but the Hawks could instead pivot to building a new core while using Dejounte as the building block alongside Sarr while promoting Kobe Bufkin into the starting five. Given the ransom the Hawks gave San Antonio for Dejounte, they could recoup those exact assets if they send the franchise Trae.
Young averaged 25.7 points and 10.8 assists this season.
This is the most likely trade package for Trae Young.
Hawks receive: Keldon Johnson, Malaki Branham, Devonte Graham, 2025 First-Round Pick (ATL), 2027 First-Round Pick (ATL)
Spurs receive: Trae Young
A potential trade would likely not involve all the picks that San Antonio received in the Murray trade, but maybe two unprotected picks could be headed back to Atlanta. Given the lack of win-now players on the Spurs, the franchise could accept matching salaries and picks as the price for Young given the new core they can put together. Fadeaway World had shared a mid-season trade for Trae for a hefty price in November.
The deal could involve starters such as Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson, or Devin Vassell, but Sochan and Vassell seem to be a part of the team's long-term future. Keldon and Devonte Graham would be enough to fulfill financial requirements, so the Spurs can throw one of their many picks on top of it to give Victor Wembanyama a superstar teammate. Adding a young piece like Malaki Branham will further incentivize the Hawks into making this deal.
With Dejounte not generating major packages in the trade market over the winter, it;'s hard to see how that situation would change now. If there's a major asset in Atlanta, it's Trae Young. It might be time to send him to a new destination and build a team that fits the stylistic profile of a former All-Star guard like Dejounte Murray, as well as coach Quin Snyder.
More must-reads: