If the Hawks decide to trade Trae Young during the 2024 offseason, the Lakers are currently the favorites to acquire the three-time All-Star guard.
The Lakers are reportedly planning to pursue top-level talent during the 2024 offseason, with Young and Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell identified as their main targets.
While Cleveland’s decision to trade Mitchell, a free agent in 2025, depends on their performance in the 2024 postseason, there is widespread anticipation that Young will be put up for trade by the Hawks, according to several NBA insiders. Following the Hawks' absence from the 2024 NBA Playoffs, reports suggest that the team has chosen to break up the Dejounte Murray and Young backcourt partnership.
“Many within the league are increasingly thinking that Atlanta would prefer to trade Young,” Marc Stein stated in his newsletter on April 20.
Lakers Poised for Significant Move
Once Young becomes available for trade, it is expected that the Lakers will aggressively pursue him, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
With three tradeable first-round picks — 2024, 2029, and 20311 — along with the favorable contracts of Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, the Lakers possess the necessary resources to make a substantial impact in the trade market.
“Internally, the Lakers have considered the option of combining three picks with existing players in order to go after a true star such as Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers or Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks, sources within the team informed ESPN,” McMenamin reported on January 20.
Meanwhile, Young himself has expressed his desire to stay in Atlanta, but has also indicated his desire to be part of a winning team.
“Teams change every year, obviously. I want to be here, but I also want to win,” Young mentioned during his exit interview on April 19. “I want to stay and win championships here, but winning is my priority, that has always been the case for me.”
Increase in Player Trade Activity Expected
Young and Mitchell are expected to be major players in the upcoming “trade market class” in July 2024.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, numerous star players are anticipated to request trades.
“The upcoming summer in the NBA will be different,” Woj said on ESPN’s “NBA Countdown” on April 20. “There will be numerous players entering the NBA market, and there will be a lot of player movement this summer. Some of it is due to underperformance by teams, while another factor is the new salary cap, which will necessitate changes in team payrolls.”
If the Lakers are successful in acquiring Young, they would form a Big 3 consisting of the All-Star guard, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James. This blend of talent could significantly enhance James’ chances of winning his fifth NBA Championship in the 2024-25 season. Since winning his fourth championship in his second season with the Lakers in 2020, James has missed the playoffs once and experienced a first-round elimination. The addition of Young,a player with a career average of 25.5 points per game
