The Luka Doncic trade was the unexpected spectacle that happened overnight. By comparison, the current Trae Young trade saga was vastly more predictable. For some, as soon as Doncic left to join the Los Angeles Lakers, Young was immediately looked to as a candidate to be moved.
Our friends over at The Smoking Cuban knew this was the case for quite some time. Dallas Mavericks reporter Noah Weber revealed that insider scoop in a recent write-up over on that side of the Fansided network.
Weber wrote, "One league source told The Smoking Cuban last season that Young would be the 'next' star player on the move following the shocking Luka Doncic trade, and recent developments suggest he could be leaving before the trade deadline."
The writing has been on the wall for a while when it comes to the Atlanta Hawks guard. Considering where Doncic and Young both started in their NBA journeys, it does not come as a major surprise.
If Luka Doncic wasn't safe in Dallas, Trae Young was on thin ice in Atlanta
Both big-time guards started their careers in the NBA as a part of a trade. For those who need a refresher, Doncic was originally selected by the Hawks and Young was drafted by the Mavericks. They swapped places shortly after.
As much as many wanted to push the narrative of it being a win-win trade, the Mavericks clearly got the better end of that deal with Doncic. That was the case until they handed him on a silver platter to the Lakers last February.
Everyone in Los Angeles is endlessly thankful of that fact. In an odd way, there is even more here that will continue to tie the Lakers, Mavericks, and Hawks together.
Anthony Davis has been consistently linked to the Hawks for quite some time in trade speculation. In the previously referenced write-up, Weber estimated Young's hefty contract coming off the cap books in Atlanta could pave the way for Davis getting to his next destination.
The former Laker, traded as a part of the Doncic deal, would get an opportunity to be a feature piece on a dark-horse contender in the Eastern Conference. It's the type of post-LA future his fans left in Hollywood have been wishing for.
Davis to Atlanta, Young to Washington (?), and the Mavericks taking a needed step backward in a retool around Cooper Flagg — the ripple effects of Doncic touching down in Los Angeles know no end.