Trae Young Trade Report Surfaces After Injury News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Dec 29, 2025 8:02 AM ET

Trae Young is now in his eighth season with the Atlanta Hawks. Injuries have been an issue for the 27-year-old this term, with Young limited to just 10 games thus far. During this stretch, the four-time All-Star has produced averages of 19.3 points on 41.5% shooting, 1.5 rebounds, 8.9 assists and 1.0 steals in 28.0 minutes per contest, while also knocking down 1.8 triples on a 30.5% clip.

Young has played in five out of the Hawks’ last six games, but he is now back on the injury report for Monday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 6-foot-2 point guard could be forced to sit out against the defending champs due to a right quad contusion, with the Hawks officially listing him as questionable to play.

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) during an NBA game. © Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Young has also been heavily linked to a move away from Atlanta. The former Oklahoma Sooner star has two years left on his current deal, including this current season. He also has a $49.0 million player option for 2026-27, which means that he could potentially walk away from the Hawks in the summer if he so chooses.

According to a new report by Marc Stein, the Hawks appear to be willing to move on from Young before he potentially leaves in the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

"There is a growing belief leaguewide that the Hawks are more open to trading him away than they've ever been," Stein reported in Sunday’s edition of his Substack.

Stein also pointed out, however, that Young could always opt to pick up the final year of his deal. This could lead to a salary cap headache for the Hawks, especially if they are able to pry Anthony Davis away from the Dallas Mavericks.

Stein reported that the Hawks are "real-deal suitors" for the 10-time All-Star, but also noted that Atlanta could also be inclined to try and see what Davis can do alongside Young. The issue, however, is that Davis is owed $58.5 million next season. Having him and Young on the payroll would already amount to $107.5 million for just two players.

Either way, the Hawks are facing a big decision on Young before the February trade deadline. They will either trade him or keep him on the team with the intention of signing him to a new deal. Not doing either of these will leave them vulnerable to losing Young for nothing if he walks away in the offseason.

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

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