Michael Hickey/Getty Images
Atlanta Hawks All-Star guard Trae Young has long been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers in trade rumors, but the chances of him landing in L.A. have reportedly diminished.
Speaking Saturday on his YouTube channel (beginning at the 5:20 mark), Jovan Buha of The Athletic said it is now “less likely” Young will get traded to the Lakers after he switched agencies from Klutch Sports to CAA.
Klutch Sports is run by Rich Paul, who is the longtime friend and business partner of Lakers superstar LeBron James. Klutch Sports also represents another Lakers star in Anthony Davis and LeBron’s son, Bronny James, who was selected by the Lakers in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft this week.
Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Saturday that LeBron opted out of the final year of his contract, but he is expected to sign a new deal with the Lakers.
The 25-year-old Young is set to enter his seventh NBA season, and he already has three All-Star nods and one All-NBA selection in his career.
Young was right in line with his career averages last season, averaging 25.7 points, 10.8 assists, 3.2 three-pointers made, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 43.0 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Injuries limited Young to 54 games, though, and his absence likely contributed to the Hawks’ overall struggles as a team, as they finished 36-46 and missed the playoffs.
The Hawks already made a significant move this offseason that suggests they may be heading toward a rebuild, as they agreed to send guard Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans for two first-round picks, Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels and E.J. Liddell, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t ESPN’s Andrew Lopez).
Atlanta previously acquired Murray from the San Antonio Spurs in hopes of him and Young combining to make the Hawks contenders in the Eastern Conference, but the experiment ended after just two seasons.
It is fair to wonder if the decision to trade Murray could make a Young trade more likely, especially since he is still signed for two more seasons with a player option for 2026-27, which suggests Atlanta could get a nice haul in exchange for him.
Young would seemingly be a great fit on the Lakers alongside James and Davis, although it is hard to say if the Lakers have the type of assets Atlanta would want for Young.
Veteran guard D’Angelo Russell would likely be part of the deal after he opted into the final year of his contract, but the Lakers might balk if the Hawks ask for Austin Reaves, who is signed at a bargain price and has been a huge contributor the past two seasons.
Still, the Lakers are undoubtedly in win-now mode with James nearing the end of his career, so they may be desperate to make a big move.
However, if they are unable to land an All-Star like Young, Buha speculated that Jerami Grant of the Portland Trail Blazers, Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards or either Cam Johnson or Dorian Finney-Smith of the Brooklyn Nets could be trade targets for Los Angeles.
>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Bleacher Report – https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10126582-trae-young-trade-rumors-lakers-deal-from-hawks-less-likely-after-changing-agents
