Sources: Hawks actively discussing Trae Young trade avenues with nothing imminent

Trae Young’s time with the Atlanta Hawks appears to be coming to an end. After being far apart during offseason discussions regarding a potential contract extension, Young and his camp have actively been discussing the potential of trade avenues to move the four-time All-Star guard before the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline, league sources told ClutchPoints on Monday.

The writing had been on the wall regarding Young’s future in Atlanta, given stalled contract negotiations and the emergence of Jalen Johnson, whom the Hawks are fully invested in building around for the foreseeable future as their franchise cornerstone.

This developing story about Young and the Hawks beginning discussions about a potential trade, which was first reported by ESPN, is the latest trade story captivating the NBA landscape, as trade dialogue between the star guard, his camp, and Atlanta’s front office, led by first-year GM Onsi Saleh, started right before the calendar flipped to 2026.

With just about four weeks until the NBA trade deadline, the Hawks are now actively working with Young and his camp with a common goal of finding a destination where the 27-year-old can immediately receive a new contract extension, sources said. To this point, trade discussions with rival teams have been minimal, and the Hawks are not close to finalizing any deal involving Young.

Atlanta is keeping an open mind to any and all paths that present themselves, while also understanding what Young and his representation want. The Hawks’ guard is making roughly $46 million this season and has a near $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season. All indications suggest that Young will opt into his option, which leads to obvious complications in a potential trade.

Although Young has proven to be an elite shot creator in Atlanta over the years, leading the league in assists during the 2024-25 season, there is no demand for the 6-foot-2 guard, especially given concerns surrounding his defensive skills.

Despite this notion and his limitations on defense, the Washington Wizards emerged as a potential suitor for Young on Monday, as first reported by longtime NBA insider Marc Stein. The main point of these discussions surrounded the possibility of a swap involving CJ McCollum, who is in the final year of his contract and making $30.6 million, for Young.

Such a move would require the Wizards to include an extra $6.8 million in outgoing salary to absorb Young’s contract.

However, the Wizards have signaled that they hold no interest in sacrificing any young assets in a trade for young, league sources said. The inclusion of young talent in a deal for Young is something the Hawks desire, especially given Washington’s request for draft compensation to be included by Atlanta.

Trae Young’s future in Atlanta with limited trade suitors 

These two teams talked recently about a McCollum-Young swap, a deal that would immediately open financial flexibility up for the Hawks in the offseason. The Wizards have made it clear they would need additional draft value from the Hawks if they were to facilitate such a trade, prompting Atlanta’s rebuttal for one of Washington’s recent draftees to be included.

This grouping of players the Hawks were likely discussing, which has not been confirmed to ClutchPoints by both parties, likely includes Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, and Tre Johnson.

The Wizards are also said to be evaluating their position and immediate future if such a move to trade for Young were made. McCollum has been a leading voice since arriving in the summer, primarily for Johnson, the team’s sixth-overall pick from just over six months ago.

As a result, these initial negotiations between the Hawks and Wizards have not reached a point where a trade is imminent. There is still plenty of time for Atlanta and Washington to work out the details of such of move with the trade deadline weeks away. The Hawks will continue to seek other avenues between now and then as well.

Overall, Young’s value is at a point where the Hawks are no longer in the driver’s seat to dictate the terms of such a trade, which is why if the organization truly wants to part ways with him before the deadline, any team trading for him will have the upper hand.

Plenty of teams that have been mentioned as possible suitors for Young in the past are not interested, including the Sacramento Kings, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. The Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets, two other teams to appear in rumors connected to Young through the years, do not hold interest in acquiring the star guard, sources said.

With this said, Brooklyn remains open to facilitating any potential deals where rival teams seek a third organization for potential salary-dump-like moves. The Nets and GM Sean Marks are always willing to listen and be involved in potential trades for draft picks, which could open the door for them to be involved in a potential Young trade or another similar deal before this year’s trade deadline.

Without Young on the court this season, the Hawks have posted a 15-13 record, including a 118-100 loss on Monday night to the Toronto Raptors. With him, the Hawks have gone 2-8 and are giving up an average of over 126 points per game to their opponents, about a negative nine-point differential compared to when Young is off the floor.

The Hawks are 17-21 overall this season.

Young, who missed about seven weeks earlier this season as a result of a right MCL sprain, has missed five straight games for the Hawks due to a right quad contusion. Even though he is currently dealing with this quad injury, there is still a chance Young returns to the court and plays for Atlanta before the trade deadline.

In 10 games this season, all of which he has started, Young has averaged 19.3 points and 8.9 assists per game while shooting 41.5 percent from the floor and 30.5 percent from 3-point range.

Between now and the trade deadline, the Hawks, Young, and his representation will continue to explore the trade market for the All-Star guard, with the Wizards appearing to be a clear favorite early in the process.

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