The Atlanta Hawks will reportedly “try hard” to trade All-Star guard Trae Young this summer.
NBC Sports' Curt Herrin reported that the Hawks may have a hard time signing Young, as many other teams prefer fellow guard Dejounte Murray.
“They're going to try hard to trade Trae Young. It's going to happen,” Herrin told Sports Notes. “But the calls I've gotten from people I've talked to around the league are usually like, 'Trae Young, yeah, we'll see.' [trade] It seems? By the way, is Dejounte free? League officials like Dejounte's game better.
“Trae Young demands the ball without defending it, but he's going to score a lot of points, get a lot of assists and add to the offense. He's an All-Star.” [and] He's a borderline All-NBA offensive player, but there's a sense that you can't build a true winner around him. Dejounte can do it. I need to move one of them, but apparently it doesn't work. But it will be interesting to see what they ultimately have to compromise to move Trey. ”
Young is a three-time All-Star and has at least two years left on his five-year, $215.2 million contract. He can terminate his contract in the summer of 2026 and become an unrestricted free agent.
Murray, by contrast, just signed a four-year, $114.1 million contract with the Hawks. He is the only player to make the All-Star team compared to Young's three, but the fact that he is available for less than 60 percent of the cost is attractive to teams.
It's safe to say that Murray is a player who could translate better within a more offensive ecosystem. He took Young's step back as the Hawks' primary point guard the past two seasons, but excelled in Young's absence. Murray averaged 25.1 points, 9.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds in 28 games without Young this season.
Young is a ball-dominant guard but struggles defensively. His value lies in his ability to pass the ball and spread the floor on the offensive end. He's one of the best players in the league in both categories, but only some teams have the ecosystem to allow Young to get on the ball as often as he does.
