When you hear an NBA rumor, take it with a grain of salt. That holds especially true around this time of year. It’s rumor season in the National Basketball Association. You’ll be hearing a lot of crazy stuff.
On the other hand, some of it will be true. At this moment, we don’t know what to believe. Soon enough, the trade deadline will have passed. When that occurs, we’ll be able to separate fact from fiction.
For example, we’ve heard that Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks would be interested in joining the San Antonio Spurs. That’s a spicy rumor. If there’s any truth in it, here’s how we think a deal would look.
The Trade Proposal
Atlanta Hawks receive: G/F Keldon Johnson, F Doug McDermott, 2025 First-Round Pick (ATL via SAS), 2027 First-Round Pick (ATL via SAS)
San Antonio Spurs receive: G Trae Young
Some rumors will have more gravity than others. When a rumor involves a franchise player, it tends to generate some noise. Often, the most important player on a team is viewed as untouchable.
Is Young untouchable? It’s possible. He’s one of the best playmakers in the NBA. The Hawks may not have any interest in moving him. At the same time, we’ve seen teams trade their franchise player before.
That’s a fate that the Spurs would like to avoid. This team just selected Victor Wembanyama in the draft – they want to keep him around. The Spurs need to do whatever it takes to keep Wembanyama happy. Does this deal help them do that?
Why The San Antonio Spurs Do The Deal
The Spurs need a point guard. That’s widely known. With that said, trading for Young could be seen as overkill. They need a point guard – not a star.
Counterpoint: why not a star? The Spurs already have Wembanyama in hand. The point of rebuilding is to find a franchise player. The Spurs selected a guy that, in all likelihood, they wouldn’t trade for anyone in the NBA.
Why not pair him with one of the best playmakers in the NBA? Meanwhile, Young isn’t old – he can be part of this team’s future. He and Wembanyama could be the backbone of Spurs basketball for a decade or more. Should the Hawks help the Spurs assemble a star duo?
Why The Atlanta Hawks Do The Deal
These aren’t the first whispers of the Hawks entertaining moving on from Young. We’ve been here before. It’s been rumored that the organization doesn’t love his locker room presence.
We don’t know how true that is. Here’s what we do know: the Hawks are mediocre. They’re on course to miss the playoffs, but they’re also light on assets with a bloated salary sheet. This is a bleak situation: in all likelihood, the Hawks would do anything to change their circumstance.
That includes trading Young. Meanwhile, the Hawks would still have Dejounte Murray to run point. Now, they’d also have a young wing with star potential in Johnson and control of two of their own draft picks back. Take this rumor with a grain of salt – but don’t dismiss it altogether.
