The Atlanta Hawks were one of the most active teams during the trade deadline. They made three separate trades, and in two of those trades, they gave up a rotation player for future picks. That is a clear signal that Atlanta is going through a soft rebuild. The only question remaining for the Hawks is whether or not they are ready to trade Trae Young.
2025 Is the Summer of Trae Young: Trade or Re-Sign?
When the Atlanta Hawks reported that Jalen Johnson would miss the remainder of the season due to injury, the writing was on the wall. The team was not going to make a noise in the playoffs without their second- or third-best player. Trae is their leading scorer, and Johnson and De’Andre Hunter are almost tied up in scoring.
After that report, teams started asking about some of the Hawks’ veterans, and by the deadline, Atlanta dealt three experienced players for younger players and a bunch of draft picks. Here is a quick recap of the Hawks’ trade deadline moves.
- The Hawks traded Cody Zeller to the Rockets for a 2028 second-round pick and the draft rights to Alpha Kaba
- They traded Bogdan Bogdanovic to the Clippers for Terance Mann, Bones Hyland, and three second-round picks (2025, 26, and 27)
- They traded De’Andre Hunter to the Cavaliers for Georges Niang, Caris LeVert, three second-round picks, and two pick swaps
In summary, they traded two of their top six rotation players for cheaper players and picks. Hyland and LeVert’s contracts expire this summer, Niang’s contract expires in 2026, while Mann is signed through 2027-28.
Should the Hawks Trade Trae Young?
When a team is accumulating draft picks, it is clear they want to go through a rebuild. The problem for the Hawks is they do not have the rights to their own 2025 draft pick. They owe that pick to the Spurs without any protection. Even worse, the Spurs have the right to swap their own pick for the Hawks’ pick in 2026. Judging by the moves the Spurs made, they will probably be in the playoffs for years to come, while Atlanta is going through a rebuild. This was the reason why the Hawks should have tried to get into the Spurs–Kings trade for De’Aaron Fox and get some of their picks back.
In the summer, the Hawks have a decision to make on Young. He has one more year left on his contract and a player option for the 2026-27 season. They can offer him an extension, but the question is whether he wants to remain in Atlanta. In the past, Trae has openly talked about how he wants to win and compete, not go through rebuild after rebuild. The Hawks have shown signals they want to make a soft rebuild and see what Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Zaccharie Risacher can do.
Because they owe their next three future first-round picks, they cannot fully bottom out and rebuild. Instead, they need to remain in the middle and try to accumulate assets through side deals. Will Trae stick around for that?
Hawks Should Avoid Suns’ Mistake
Atlanta doesn’t control its own pick until 2028. Their young core will enter its prime by that point, and teams like Boston, New York, and Cavaliers might age out of competition. The Phoenix Suns were in a similar position a while ago, but they doubled down on their picks and got Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
The Hawks should avoid the temptation of trading picks for win-now players when their young players have years to develop. Instead, the option of trading Young remains open.
Will Teams Want Trae Young?
Trae Young might not have a higher value than he has this year. He is leading the league in assists, scores 23 points per game on 40% shooting, and has been relatively healthy. This will be his third consecutive season averaging 20+ points and 10+ assists, and if there is a moment to trade him, that is now.
The Orlando Magic and the Houston Rockets are two teams that are in the mix for competing, and they can certainly use a point guard. Both have plenty of assets to offer to Atlanta. With the way they approached this deadline, the Hawks could trade Trae Young. Speculations about his future will only intensify in the summer. Unless Kevin Durant asks out of Phoenix, Trae might be the biggest name on the market this summer.
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