Report: Lakers, Spurs, and Pelicans Are Three Teams That Will Be Appealing To Trae Young in A Possible Trade

Are the Atlanta Hawks going to trade Trae Young this offseason?

Nov 30, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) lays the ball in during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at the Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports / Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

Get ready for the offseason.

With the 2024 NBA Draft tomorrow night and the start of NBA Free Agency right around the corner, things are going to be moving fast and furious around the NBA.

The Atlanta Hawks have a lot of decisions they have to make over the course of the offseason. They hold the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, they are likely going to need to make a decision on Trae Young/Dejounte Murray backcourt, and other players such as Clint Capela, De'Andre Hunter, and Bogdan Bogdanovic could be available. The front office for Atlanta has a lot of important decisions to make and this team is likely going to look much different in the coming weeks.

While it is still unknown what exactly is going to happen, prominent NBA Insider Jake Fischer had this to say about Trae Young tonight in a new column for Yahoo Sports:

"UConn center Donovan Clingan appears destined to be the next big man off the board, if he isn’t the top selection to Atlanta. Clingan worked out for the Hawks and told reporters he sees the potential for strong pick-and-roll chemistry with Atlanta’s guards. The Hawks, of course, are expected to engage rival teams on trade scenarios for both Trae Young and Dejounte Murray throughout this offseason. The Lakers, Pelicans and Spurs remain three destinations that would be appealing to Young, league sources told Yahoo Sports, and teams in the lottery are not discounting the possibility the Spurs could engineer a move up to the top slot, which could open the door for Atlanta possibly selecting Clingan at No. 4."

All three of these teams have been mentioned before as a possible destination for Young. The Lakers are looking for a third star to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis and Young would also be an anchor for their future. The Spurs are looking for a point guard to pair with Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio holds the next three Hawks picks for the future. The Pelicans are looking to shake up their roster and Young would be a great pairing with Zion Williamson.

Last month, Fischer wrote about Young and the Spurs and at the time, it did not seem that the Spurs were that interested in trading for Young:

"San Antonio personnel would be committing front-office malpractice by not contemplating the opportunity to pair a league assist leader and high-screen maestro like Young to pair with Wembanyama. The Spurs have so far approached building around Wembanyama as an intriguing experiment, where they will weigh all different kinds of variables around their Rookie of the Year. However, according to multiple league figures with knowledge of the situation, any Spurs plans of maneuvering to bring Young to San Antonio have been vastly overstated. The Spurs, sources said, have expressed little interest in obtaining Young to date."

Fischer went on to mention the Lakers as a possible destination for Young, which has been rumored for quite some time.

"Where Young will fall among the pecking order of available talent this offseason has been a predominant question league personnel are discussing throughout this combine week. The Lakers, for example, are one team that holds interest in Young after Los Angeles held trade discussions with Atlanta about Dejounte Murray back in February, sources said. The Lakers are now armed with three first-round picks to pursue a premier talent to team with James and Davis, but Los Angeles will have to consider other options before committing any type of capital for Young."

Could the Hawks trade Young instead of Murray? It is possible and I will maintain that if the Hawks decide to move Young, the Spurs should be the preffered destination. I don't think the Hawks should build around Murray, as their ceiling is just going to be limited. If Young wants to be traded and the Hawks could get their picks back from San Antonio, they should commit to a full rebuild around Jalen Johnson and this year's No. 1 pick. They can trade Murray, Clint Capela, De'Andre Hunter, and Bogdan Bogdanovic for more assets as well and really have a rebuild.

For now, the Hawks need to figure out what to do with the No. 1 pick. Then, even more important decisions await this franchise.