The Trae Young experience in Atlanta is slowly but surely heading toward a finish line. The four-time All-Star was not that happy when the Atlanta Hawks did not offer him a Super Max extension this offseason, and it has reflected in his play since October.
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Shams Charania revealed on Monday that the Hawks and Trae’s agents are negotiating a trade. It is clear that both sides have soured on each other, and since the Hawks are not winning much anyway. A clean break for everyone sounds like the healthiest outcome.
The deal has yet to be completed, so technically, Young is still a Hawk. However, you would not have known that based on what happened ahead of Atlanta’s game against the Raptors later on Monday.
You would think that Young would try to impress potential suitors by balling out. Instead, he dribbled around aimlessly for 30 seconds during shootaround and then returned to the locker room.
It’s a shame since just a few seasons ago, Young miraculously led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals. It was the first postseason after the Bubble, so the lights were never brighter.
In that run, he helped the Hawks defeat two of the league’s biggest market teams, the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers. Young was so hated for knocking out the Mecca that WWE even brought him in for a Madison Square Garden show so he could relish in more of his heel heat.
Trae Young just came out and dribbled around for maybe 30 seconds and then dipped back to the locker room: pic.twitter.com/d8U6XvRwpb
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) January 5, 2026
It is wild to imagine Young not only to be the centerpiece of the Hawks but also to be gone completely. Where will he go, though?
Well, a few insiders, including Ryen Russillo, have wondered if anyone is really looking to acquire the 27-year-old. Russillo spoke on his podcast about how expensive Young would be to acquire and that NBA team executives might look the other way due to his lack of effort.
“It’s hard to think of a team that’s trying to win this season that Trae would help, especially once you factor in what that team would be losing from the players they would have to send back as matching salary. He doesn’t defend. He doesn’t rebound. Guys hate playing with him,” elaborated Russillo.
That’s not to say that no one is interested. Marc Stein reported that the Washington Wizards (last place in the East) might be a potential landing spot. The rumored deal could get constructed around CJ McCollum’s expiring contract.
A change of scenery might be nice for everyone, but you’d have to wonder if Young is super pumped about going to the team with the worst record in the NBA. At this point, though, it really feels like everyone’s just waiting for the inevitable.
Trae’s time in Atlanta has run its course, and both sides seem ready to call it quits, even if the trade details take a little while to finalize. For now, all we can do is watch and see where the next chapter takes Young, because the drama isn’t going away anytime soon.
