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Kings Make Decision on Blockbuster Trae Young Trade: Report

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Reign Amurao | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 10:07 PM ET

The Sacramento Kings need a point guard after trading away De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs last season. Without a legitimate point guard, the Kings struggled to finish the season strong. The team had to go through the entire campaign with various players at the lead guard position.

According to reports, the Kings have explored their options in the trade market for a new guard. One of the players they took an interest in is Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young. The four-time All-Star is an exciting player who can benefit from playing alongside Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Additionally, the frontcourt tandem of Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas gives him more options offensively.

However, a trade did not push through and Sam Amick of The Athletic explained why.

According to Amick, the Kings didn't like Young's play style, which is more on the offensive side.

"Similarly, there was a push among some power-brokers for Sacramento to go after Atlanta’s Trae Young, but league sources say the Kings didn’t have interest because of his style of play (offense-first) and cost (he’s extension-eligible this summer but is slated to earn $45.9 million next season and has a player option worth $48.9 million in 2026-27)," Amick wrote.

In terms of offense, the Kings don't have a problem. They have LaVine and DeRozan, who are both skilled offensive stars. Also, their starting frontcourt players are known to be offensive assets.

Amick also reported that the Kings explored the possibility of trading for Jrue Holiday before the Boston Celtics shipped him to the Portland Trail Blazers. However, his age (35) and salary ($104.4 million) were a concern.

For Young, the Hawks haven't done much to hint that they are willing to part ways with him. The team's recent trade activity (trading for Kristaps Porzingis) suggests that the organization is willing to build a competitive group around the All-Star.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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