The Atlanta Hawks ended another disappointing season after being trounced by the Bulls, during the Play-in tournament eliminator. Even though Trae Young led from the front as an elite scorer and passer, his team fell short again. This has raised questions regarding Young’s future with the Atlanta Hawks. Some murmurs suggested that after spending six seasons with the Hawks, he may be looking for the greener pastures of the Los Angeles Lakers as their “third star”.
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In line with this, Hawks reporter Brad Rowland asked Young, “What he would tell another player about coming to Atlanta?” Young humbly responded that instead of seeking to be a first option, he opts to have a ball-rotator role. The guard wants to share the rock and lift his team’s chances of victory. He said,
“People may think that I have to feel like I’m the best player on the team or the first option, I’m not that way. I’ve never been that way. I’m just a guy who’s trying to get everybody involved and win the game. I know when we win, everybody eats,”
It implies that the 3x All-Star could accommodate another star player to stack up wins. Young has crafted a ball-sharing offensive system that enables multiple scorers to thrive. As a floor general, he looks to give multiple touches to multiple players, and in the process, an elite scorer can benefit from his playing style.
Will Trae Young switch to the Lakers in the 2024 offseason?
Young’s comments still paint a blurry picture of his future with the team that traded him for Luka Doncic on 2018 draft night. During the 2023-24 season, Young finished the second year of his 5-year/$215,159,700 contract, per Spotrac. He is going to make $43,031,940 next season. Since he will not be a free agent in the 2024 offseason, trade is the only route to seek a fresher pathway.
If the Lakers want to land him, they may have to trade a marquee player like D’Angelo Russell or Rui Hachimura. During the 2023-24 midseason trade deadline, Young’s teammate Dejounte Murray was being linked to the Lakers. However, things didn’t go towards that tangent.
Thus, there is still a high likelihood that the 6’1” guard will stay put with his current franchise or go somewhere other than the Lakeshow. On the flip side, the Lakers may make a run for him if they fall in the first round of the Western Conference. It will be interesting if they will be willing to disintegrate their current crop to balance the budget for landing Trae Young.
