Prior to the blockbuster trade for Luka Doncic, the Los Angeles Lakers were endlessly linked to former Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young. The working theory amongst those who suggested the move was that Young could've create an elite big three with Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
After seeing how little the Washington Wizards sent to the Hawks in their shocking trade for Young, however, it's clear that the Lakers were right to ignore the rumors and speculation.
At the time that Los Angeles was linked to Young, his reputation was simply different than what it is today. As a four-time All-Star who earned critical acclaim for leading Atlanta to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, the general expectation was that the Hawks would ask for multiple first-round draft picks in a potential trade.
Fast forward to 2026 and the Wizards acquired Young for Corey Kispert, CJ McCollum, and not a single draft pick—first round or otherwise.
BREAKING: The Atlanta Hawks are trading four-time NBA All-Star Trae Young to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/WIf8rhrRFu
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 8, 2026
Equipped with the knowledge that Young's trade value has drastically declined since he was last linked to the Lakers, Los Angeles has been vindicated for not overpaying when they could've.
Lakers were regularly linked to Trae Young but never took the bait
Young has been linked to Lakers superstar Luka Doncic since the fateful night of the 2018 NBA Draft. They were effectively traded for one another, with the Hawks landing Young and the Dallas Mavericks adding Doncic with the picks they swapped.
Young actually outlasted Doncic in terms of the length of their respective tenures with the teams that drafted them, but the two have now been traded within less than a year of one another.
Had the Lakers acted on the endless rumors and speculative comments they inevitably heard by trading for Young, a move for Doncic likely never would've transpired. Furthermore, there's a strong chance they would've parted with even more draft capital than they gave up for Doncic.
Los Angeles unfortunately lost both Anthony Davis and Max Christie in the move for Doncic, but they also limited their outgoing draft picks to just one.
For a franchise that only has one first-round draft pick that it can trade in 2025-26, that was a colossal win on the team-building front. By contrast, the Lakers likely would've been unable to acquire Young without losing both Christie and Davis, but the outgoing picks would've been significant.
For the purpose of matching salaries, Los Angeles may have also needed to include at least one of Rui Hachimura or Austin Reaves—if not both full-time starters.
Instead, the Lakers are moving forward with Doncic and Reaves anchoring their future and Hachimura a candidate to re-sign in unrestricted free agency. Furthermore, they're finally beginning to value first-round draft picks as more than just trade fodder.
Knowing now that Young's trade value has decreased far beyond what many proposed the Lakers would've been asked to give up for him, the front office has been proven right for ignoring temptation.