Tag: trae young

Trae Young floated as ‘realistic’ offseason target for Spurs

Could Trae Young be a realistic offseason target for the San Antonio Spurs?

For the past few months, the San Antonio Spurs have been linked to Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young. The All-Star point guard could be a great fit next to Victor Wembanyama. And in Andy Baily of Bleacher Report’s latest article, he listed Young as a potential “realistic” offseason target for the Spurs.

“Recent reporting suggests the San Antonio Spurs aren’t interested in Young,” Bailey wrote. “His lack of size and defensive ability probably have something to do with that. But they have the contracts and assets to make a compelling offer to Atlanta. And even if there is some downside that comes with Young, he’s one of the league’s most prolific offensive engines and best lob passers.

“He would instantly have this team in the hunt for a top-10 offense while dramatically improving Wembanyama’s expected field-goal percentage. He knows how to create opportunities for bigs out of the pick-and-roll or isolations, and he’d be willing to get Wemby the ball for those open opportunities.”

Adding Young’s offensive game would help take Wembanyama and the Spurs to the next level.

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Recent mock trade sees Spurs flip No. 4 pick for Trae Young

In a recent mock trade, the San Antonio Spurs would send the fourth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft to the Atlanta Hawks for Trae Young.

The San Antonio Spurs have been connected to Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young for months now. Adding him to the lineup would form a great pairing with Victor Wembanyama. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently concocted a mock trade that would see Young join the Spurs, while San Antonio would send the fourth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Keldon Johnson, Zach Collins, a 2025 first-round pick (their own), and a 2026 first-round pick swap rights (their own) to the Hawks.

“As things stand, the Spurs hold two top-10 picks (Nos. 4 and 8), so if they want to follow the slow-and-steady model for building around Victor Wembanyama, they can do it,” Buckley wrote. “Given how much he showed as a freshman phenom, though, it might already be time to accelerate—especially with the young centerpiece being reportedly “intrigued by the idea” of playing with Trae Young, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

“The Hawks, meanwhile, might read their lottery fortune as the sign it’s time to pivot toward something new. After nabbing Sarr at No. 1, they could add another lengthy Frenchman in Zaccharie Risacher, who projects as at least an athletic three-and-D and has shown enough flashes of ball-handling and passing to suggest he could become so much more. Between Sarr, Risacher, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu, the Hawks could be loaded up front sooner than later, and that’s before factoring in Keldon Johnson (and, if they see a role for him, Zach Collins). Atlanta would also regain control of its next two drafts, meaning that if it encounters any growing pains going forward, it would at least reap the rewards of them.”

Adding Young to the lineup would be great, but this is a hefty price.

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Are the San Antonio Spurs just not that into a Trae Young trade?

Why would they not want one of the better ball movers in the league?

It is not exactly a well-kept secret that the San Antonio Spurs’ front office is looking for a point guard to pair with French forward phenom Victor Wembanyama for the future growth of both. But where exactly all the chatter trying to connect them with star Atlanta Hawks floor general Trae Young came from is not entirely clear.

But one thing we are starting to hear rumbles about from reliable corners of the Spurs media sphere is that San Antonio’s executives are not exactly falling over themselves to trade for Young in such a role. Why would they not want one of the better ball movers in the league?

Why this is the case is not entirely clear, but may have to do with the fact that he makes quite a bit of money — and comparable enough facsimiles may be had for less outgoing draft capital and payroll both.

The host of the “Locked On Spurs” podcast, Jeff Garcia, explored why with guest KENS 5’s Vinnie Vinzetta on a recent episode. Check it otu above!

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Trae Young may not have much trade interest around the league (and not even from the Spurs)

More teams reportedly prefer Brandon Ingram over Trae Young.

The Atlanta Hawks officially own the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Their front office has some big decisions to make this offseason.

Even before the Hawks recently won the draft lottery, it was considered “most likely” that Atlanta would trade one of their two guards: Trae Young or Dejounte Murray.

Now, they can fully embrace a youth movement and potentially build around whoever they feel is the top prospect in this class. Should they decide to split up their backcourt, one team often rumored as an ideal destination for Young is the Spurs.

According to league insider Jake Fischer, however, San Antonio does not have that same interest in the three-time All-Star (via Yahoo):

“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.”

San Antonio owns multiple draft picks from Atlanta after trading Murray to the franchise in 2022.

While the Hawks may have interest in trying to obtain those picks back so they could potentially bottom out after moving Young, the Spurs are likely not interested.

In fact, the market for Young is not considered very vast at the moment. Here is more from Fischer:

“An unofficial poll of executives in Chicago also suggests Pelicans wing Brandon Ingram will have a wider range of teams interested in acquiring the one-time All-Star, as compared to Young, should New Orleans truly explore a roster shake-up of that magnitude.”

Ingram, who has averaged 23.1 points per game since joining the Pelicans in 2019, is coming off a rough postseason.

He scored just 14.3 points per game while shooting only 25.0 percent on his 3-pointers. But at 6-foot-8 and with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, he offers more size and versatility than Young.

San Antonio is a team that historically values defensive impact and Young has shortcomings on that end of the floor. So as their front office begins building a perfect roster for Wembanyama, it isn’t shocking that they may prefer someone like Ingram.

But it does lead us to wonder where Young may end up if he is moved, or if Atlanta eventually decides to offload Murray instead.

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Report: Victor Wembanyama ‘intrigued’ by idea of Trae Young duo

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is reportedly “intrigued” by the idea of playing with Trae Young.

According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is “intrigued” by the idea of playing with Trae Young. The Atlanta Hawks guard has been a rumored potential trade target for the Spurs for months. He revealed as much during a recent appearance on The Hoop Collective podcast. (H/t Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report)

“I will say I have talked to people who know Wemby who have indicated he is at least intrigued by the idea,” MacMahon said. “Now, intrigued by that idea and pounding the table are two very different things. I have no idea whether Gregg Popovich would be intrigued by the idea.”

The Hawks just won the first pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, so there’s a chance that they will take this opportunity to strip down the roster and rebuild. Trading Young could be the start of that.

Meanwhile, as the Spurs look to improve their roster around Wembanyama, adding an elite offensive player like Young could be a great way to maximize his talent on that end of the floor.

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Mock trade sees Spurs move No. 1 pick in package for Trae Young

In this mock trade, the San Antonio Spurs would trade the first-overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft in a package for Trae Young.

The San Antonio Spurs could end up making some big-time moves this summer. Trae Young is a name that has repeatedly popped up as a potential target. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently wrote an article detailing a potential trade for the Spurs if they won the number-one pick, in which they would flip the first-overall pick in a package for Young that also includes Keldon Johnson, Malaki Branham, Devonte’ Graham, and a second first-rounder.

“If San Antonio wants to gain entry into the West’s crowded playoff race, it needs to find some top-tier talent,” Buckley wrote. “Trae Young certainly fits the bill (and he’s on the radar, too). The 25-year-old has already booked three All-Star trips and is one of only two players to post career averages of 25 points and nine assists. For context, the other is Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson.

“The challenge with a Young-led team is fielding a competent defense around him, but Wembanyama’s cheat-code abilities on that end might make it happen. And Young, in turn, would simplify things greatly on the offensive end for the Frenchman with his scoring punch, passing vision and gravitational pull on opposing defenses.”

Landing Young to help Wembanyama compete right away would be great, but adding another young player and keeping their draft picks could also be a smart decision for the Spurs.

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Potential Lakers trade target leaves Klutch Sports

A star guard the Lakers are reportedly interested in trading for has made a move that may make such a trade less likely to happen.

It is no real secret the Los Angeles Lakers will at least try to make a big splash this offseason by looking to trade for a third star. With LeBron James heading toward his 22nd NBA season, and with starting point guard D’Angelo Russell looking like he can never be relied on to produce at playoff time, it’s clear the Lakers need some type of significant upgrade.

The potential trade target that has come up the most frequently is Atlanta Hawks All-Star guard Trae Young. While Young has been criticized as a low-efficiency hotshot who is a defensive sieve, he seems to be the type of big-name player L.A. has historically been mesmerized by.

Young had been with Klutch Sports, the agency started by Rich Paul, James’ longtime friend and agent. It has been speculated that perhaps that connection would expedite a Young-to-L.A. trade.

But on Tuesday, Young posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) that he is now being represented by Creative Artists Agency.

Of course, Young could still end up wearing the Purple and Gold next season. But the pathway toward making that happen may have gotten narrower.

San Antonio Spurs labeled as ‘best fit’ for potential Trae Young trade

The San Antonio Spurs are the “best fit” for a potential Trae Young trade this offseason.

As the San Antonio Spurs look for ways to improve their roster around Victor Wembanyama this summer, one name will undoubtedly continue to pop up: Trae Youg. And according to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, the Spurs are the “best fit” for a potential Young trade this offseason.

“Since Young landed in Atlanta in 2018, the Hawks have yet to rank better than 18th in defensive efficiency,” Buckley wrote. “There’s a legitimate question of whether it’s possible to field even an average offense with him at the helm, which might be why teams reportedly prefer Dejounte Murray as a trade target. If anyone can make the defensive end work with Young, though, it just might be the 7’4” alien who just electrified the Alamo City as a rookie. Victor Wembanyama’s unique blend of size, length, mobility and instincts should make him an annual Defensive Player of the Year candidate—and the potentially perfect on-court partner for Young.

“Wembanyama, meanwhile, would immensely benefit from playing alongside an offensive force like Young, who’s one of only two players holding career averages north of 25 points and nine assists. The Spurs were legitimately competitive when Wembanyama played with Tre Jones (plus-4.3 net rating), who feels like the definition of an average point guard. Swap in Young, a three-time All-Star with one of the Association’s sharpest offensive skill sets, and San Antonio could be a playoff participant as soon as next season.”

Adding Young’s offensive talent next to Wembanyama would be an amazing combination.

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Bulls Trade Ideas: Should Chicago trade for Trae Young?

Should the Chicago Bulls look to trade for Trae Young this offseason?

Just a few months after the Chicago Bulls sent the Atlanta Hawks packing in the Play-In Tournament, is there a world where the two teams become trade partners? It has become painfully clear that the Hawks are looking to split up Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, and if the Bulls wanted to get in on the action, Young could be an intriguing target.

The All-Star guard is one of the best playmakers in the NBA and has proven capable of being a threat in the postseason. However, the Bulls already have Coby White on the roster. Should they really be looking to give up significant assets for Young when their best player (in regard of their long-term outlook) is a point guard?

Plus, if the Bulls are truly committed to shaking things up and planning for the future, moving a bunch of picks and players for Young doesn’t seem smart.

Conclusion: Trading for Young would not only hurt the development of White, but it would also cost way too much than what the Bulls should be willing to give up, especially for a guard.

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How much interest do the Spurs have in Trae Youg?

Do the San Antonio Spurs still have interest in a Trae Young trade?

The San Antonio Spurs should be doing everything they can to improve their roster this summer, as Victor Wembanyama looks good enough to help them compete right away. If they can put a great team around him, they have a chance to get right back into the playoffs after a brief break.

One guy they were connected to throughout the season was Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, and those rumors have persisted. There were some rumblings that the Spurs may not be interested in a trade for Young, but his offensive talent looks like it could pair beautifully next to Wembanyama.

During a recent appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Shams Charania of The Athletic spoke about the Spurs’ potential interest in a move for Young.

Young’s defensive problems and large contract could be potential concerns for the Spurs, but the offensive talent he would bring to the table could mitigate those downsides.

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