What a Los Angeles Lakers trade for Trae Young would look like:
The initial thought for many Atlanta Hawks fans when they see this package is going to be that it is not enough. There is only so much that the Lake Show can offer and quite frankly, Young may not be worth as much as Atlanta fans want to admit.
This would be a huge trade and would obviously shift the hierarchy of the NBA. The Lakers would be acquiring one of the most prolific (and polarizing) point guards in the league while the Hawks would be committing to a hard reset by trading the team’s star player.
So how would it even get to this point? As it stands right now, Atlanta would not be interested in making this kind of trade as the team wants continue to make runs with Young. But if the 2023-24 season is disappointing then Young could be the next star that is moved.
Every six months there is an NBA star that becomes unhappy and wants out. After back-to-back disappointing seasons, Young may look around and demand a change of scenery out of Atlanta. Meanwhile, the Hawks may realize that the ceiling with Young as the top guy is maybe a Conference Finals berth and that is it. For that reason, the team could fulfill his wish and load up on future assets.
The San Antonio Spurs own Atlanta’s upcoming picks so this is a bad time to rebuild for the Hawks but sometimes a team doesn’t get to pick when it rebuilds. If Young wants out and is making a stir then Atlanta may not have a choice.
So it could happen depending on how the 2023-24 season pans out. But does that make it a good move for the Lakers or the Hawks?