Trae Young, one of the two Los Angeles Lakers‘ top offseason targets, will be the next star to get traded, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz predicts.
“Despite recently clinching a spot in the East play-in tournament, it seems inevitable that the Atlanta Hawks are headed for a massive shake-up,” Swartz wrote on April 7.
Swartz illustrated how the Young-Dejounte Murray pairing proves to be unsuccessful for the Hawks as part of the reason he believes a trade is inevitable.
- Young with Murray: minus-5.8 net rating, 2,433 possessions
- Young without Murray: plus-2.1 net rating, 1,536 possessions
- Murray without Young: plus-2.5 net rating, 2,987 possessions
In addition to these damning numbers, the Hawks are 20-28 this season with Young and Murray sharing the backcourt duties.
The Hawks had a 2-1 record when Murray sat out and Young played while they are 12-9 with Murray leading the way since Young underwent hand surgery in February.
Murray has flourished, averaging 25.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.8 steals and is shooting 37.3% from the 3-point line since Young was sidelined.
The Hawks’ unsuccessful attempt to get meaningful offers for Murray, including from the Lakers at the February trade deadline, also suggests they could fetch more value for Young than Murray.
Young, the fifth overall pick in 2018, will be on the third year of a five-year $215 million contract next season. He will have two guaranteed years after this season with a $48.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season.
Young averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals while hitting 37% from the 3-point range on a staggering 9 attempts per game before he was announced to be out for the remainder of the season.
Trae Young Keeps an Open Mind on Potential Trade
A Klucth Sports client like Lakers superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Young reiterated his commitment to Atlanta while keeping an open mind for a potential move.
“They’ve never won a championship in Atlanta,” Young said in an interview with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks on Tuesday, March 5. “Like doing that, like me getting drafted [it] felt like it was a match made in heaven. This is something I want to do. Like I can defeat the odds here too.
So for me, my my whole vision was always to be here like my goal was to win championships. Bring people here with me and build this championship [culture] here, dynasty here. But who knows, like it’s your sixth now. And who knows? Like for me, I want that [championship].”
Kendrick Perkins Hints at ‘Perfect Piece’ for Anthony Davis
Appearing in the Pat McAfee Show on February 15, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins said a star who is a match made in heaven for Davis is coming to Los Angeles.
“The Lakers need to stay in path and get through this season,” Perkins said. “Have a run because another superstar is on the way this summer. I can’t reveal who that is… they trust me not to add this information out who that player is going to be.”
“This superstar, actually is the perfect fit, not only for LeBron [James] like it’s a match made in heaven for Anthony Davis.”
When pressed to give more clues if this player is a shooter, a guard or a center, Perkins doubled down on his earlier description.
“I will say this. It will be a perfect piece for Anthony Davis,” Perkins said.
"The Lakers need to get through this season because another superstar is on the way this summer..
He's the perfect fit for Anthony Davis and LeBron James" ~ @KendrickPerkins #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/OjiKHNapZm
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 15, 2024
While Perkins did not give any clue, Young’s playmaking and outside shooting seemed perfect next to Davis.
The Lakers’ Other Star Target
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported on January 23 that the Lakers have two stars on their radar — Young and Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell.
“The Lakers have discussed internally the possibility of packaging three picks, along with players they already have on their books, to pursue a bona fide star, such as Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers or Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks, team sources told ESPN,” McMenamin wrote.
Mitchell is also predicted to be on the move if he doesn’t sign an extension with the Cavaliers this summer.
“The buzz in NBA circles suggests that barring a run to the NBA Finals, Mitchell will decline an extension and look elsewhere, and the Cavaliers are more likely than not to move him well before he can leave outright as a free agent,” Pincus wrote on April 5.
The Lakers routed the Cavaliers 116-97 on Saturday, April 6, with Mitchell struggling for only 10 points on a horrific 4 of 13 shooting. The Lakers’ win dropped Cleveland’s lead for the third seed in the East to just half-game over the New York Knicks and Orlando Magic.
