With the Atlanta Hawks trudging toward another disappointing finish, expect to hear plenty of Trae Young trade talk this offseason. In fact, buzz is already building with one Eastern Conference executive telling The Ringer's Howard Beck that Young is "available" and a Western Conference executive opining Atlanta "would love to trade Trae."
If the Lakers hope to elevate their playmaking and perimeter shot-making, they'd be hard-pressed to find a better option than Young. The 25-year-old has his deficiencies—almost all of them revolving around the defensive end—but table-setting and bucket-getting aren't among them. He's on the cusp of authoring his second consecutive campaign with at least 26 points and 10 assists per game.
Young, another potential target cited by Buha, could find a new level of potency with his passing by lining up alongside James and Davis. Young's shooting efficiency could also surge by sharing the floor with two high-end scorers of their caliber.
The question here is Young's trade value, and frankly, that's hard to calculate. As productive as he is on offense, he's a total liability on defense, and outside of a surprise run to the 2021 Eastern Conference finals, the Hawks haven't won much with him. So, a deal for Young may not require as many assets as people think, though the Lakers would still likely be out at least two first-round picks, a prospect or two and perhaps some combination of Reaves, Russell and Rui Hachimura.
