Trae Young trade rumors: destinations, packages, ideas, including a blockbuster deal with Wizards

After more than seven seasons together, Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks are ready to go their separate ways. It’s mutual, with Young’s agents work for the Hawks to find the best trade partner and new home for the three-time All-Star.

The challenge is actually finding a job that works.

Announcement

There isn’t much of a market for Young, league sources told NBC Sports. On the surface, you would think that many teams would be interested in a 27-year-old in his prime who is averaging 25.2 points and 9.8 assists per game for his career. I’m not. Part of the hesitation is that the league is full of good point guards, and not many teams are looking for one (for example, Young was tied to the Spurs, but now they have De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper). For teams that need someone in place, the challenges are Young’s well-documented defensive shortcomings, his ball-dominant style and how that impacts team chemistry, and how those two elements combine to put a ceiling on how good a team can be with Young. Add in the fact that he makes a lot of money — $45.9 million this season, a $48.9 million player option for next season, and is eligible for and wants a contract extension — and teams looking at tax aprons are hesitant. At best.

Which teams are interested? Who should it be? Here are three teams to keep an eye on.

The Wizards of Washington

Washington is clearly the favorite for a young trade, with NBA insider Marc Stein’s first report their interest. The Wizards have a young, promising core: Second-year center Alex Sarr is a defensive force who can shoot 3s and is the kind of big many teams are trying to find; plus there’s the goal on the wings with Tre Johnson and Kyshawn George, and the two-way potential of Bilal Coulibaly. Add Young to this group and suddenly the long-moribund Wizards — who have made the playoffs once in the last seven years and will become eight this season — have a fun team with potential.

Announcement

There are legitimate concerns that a trade could short-circuit the player development underway in Washington, but if owner Ted Leonsis just wants to get back into the postseason quickly, this is the route to do it.

The trade: Washington receives Trae Young; Atlanta gets CJ McCollum, Corey Kispert and a few picks.

McCollum is in this deal to make the money work, he has an expiring $30.6 million contract. That said, he is averaging 18.6 points per game this season, is a veteran leader, and could be a boost the rest of the season in Atlanta.

Kispert is a rock-solid rotation wing shooting 39.5% from beyond the arc this season, which is why the Hawks won’t want to give him up and will instead push for something like the combination of Malaki Branham and AJ Johnson in the deal. This could be a critical point.

Announcement

Draft picks get interesting: There are front offices around the league that feel Atlanta should have to send picks to Young to get a team to accept that contract. The Hawks don’t see it that way. Washington shouldn’t give up their pick this year or anything of real value, but check out Oklahoma City’s pick for 2026 (technically, they’ll get the worst of the Thunder, Rockets and Clippers, who will be OKC). It will most likely be the 30th pick, so the Wizards can bring it in and the Hawks can say they got a first-round pick. This is the most valuable pick the Wizards should give up, aside from just a second-rounder or two.

Minnesota Timberwolves

And we are already engaged in operations that I don’t like and/or that don’t make much sense.

The argument for Minnesota to trade for Young is that they need shooting and a point guard, as Father Time quickly caught up with Mike Conley. The thinking is that the team needs a boost if it wants to take a step forward from the Western Conference Finals (as it has the past two seasons), and Young could be that push. Anthony Edwards, next to Young, has the potential to be explosive offensively, and with Rudy Gobert in the box, they can cover Young’s defensive shortcomings.

Announcement

The issue is how much money Young makes and how much Minnesota must give up in any trade.

The trade: Minnesota receives Trae Young; Atlanta receives Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, Mike Conley and a minimum contract player.

What has made Minnesota so dangerous in recent years is its depth and versatility, and this four-for-one trade sacrifices that. Minnesota is a solid 23-13 this season, and even though they’re still sixth in the West, the Timberwolves are one game out of the top four and one round in the playoffs, and 2.5 games out of being the No. 2 seed. This isn’t a team that needs a dramatic roster and style change, and that’s what Young brings to the table.

While this trade could be manipulated to bring in a third team and perhaps send Julius Randle instead, the issue comes back to the reality that it’s hard to see how any of these trades could improve Minnesota. This is not a deal they should be involved in.

Announcement

Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee is buying, not selling, as it approaches the trade deadline: it wants to enhance a team that believes it can still be a threat in a wide-open East and in doing so impress Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks need more talent – ​​more shot creation and shooting around Antetokounmpo – and Young is the biggest name on the board. Sure, the Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard duo didn’t work out, but the Bucks can try to convince themselves that it would be different no matter how much they have to give up.

For Atlanta, they could get help up front and perhaps a future first-round pick… is that enough?

The trade: Milwaukee receives Trae Young; Atlanta gets Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma, another player (Gary Harris?), Milwaukee’s 2031 first-round pick.

Announcement

That pick becomes a big turning point: Would the Bucks give up? I’m not sure why Atlanta would want to make this deal and take the added years of Portis and Kuzma unless that pick was in the mix. If it’s the Bucks, is he really young enough to give up the only first-round pick I can still trade?

Portis would help the top line in Atlanta and Kuzma could fit into the rotation. For Milwaukee, already a very thin team, this would hurt their depth even more. Can Young alone solve the non-Antetokounmpo verbal problem?

This seems more like a trade born out of desperation and isn’t great for either side, but are both teams desperate enough to do it anyway?

Other teams mentioned

Here are some quick thoughts on other teams that come up in the rumors:

Announcement

• Los Angeles Clippers: The idea is that Young would help the team in non-James Harden minutes, except that Kawhi Leonard is healthy and doing so much better than Young already would. Furthermore, the Clippers are aiming for a 2027 pivot and would not like to extend Young.

• Toronto Raptors: Is Young really a good fit for a team that is winning thanks to defense and depth? The trade would likely require RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley plus a first-round pick or two going to Atlanta, and it’s hard to understand why Toronto thinks this makes them better (taking the ball out of Brandon Ingram’s hands).

• Sacramento Kings: Let’s put aside the fact that this trade doesn’t make much sense for either side (when it stopped Sacramento in the past), instead focusing on the fact that The Athletic’s Sam Amick has already reported that the Kings have no interest in such a trade. It’s a smart move by the Kings.

• Dallas Mavericks: Multiple reports from Dallas say there is no interest in trading for Young. There will be no trading issues with Anthony Davis.