Report: Rival execs believe Trae Young could request trade if Hawks “don’t make inroads come postseason time”

The Atlanta Hawks are just 16-16 through 32 games this season, and while they have been banged up, this is the third year in a row they have stumbled out of the gates. There have been chemistry issues between Trae Young, Nate McMillan and the rest of the team, and it appears that discontent is beginning to send ripples around the league.

Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report reported on Thursday that rival executives believe Young could be the next NBA superstar to request a trade if the Hawks “don’t make inroads come postseason time.” The report is rather vague as it reads as mostly, if not all, speculation, but a legitimate source putting those words next to Young’s name has to be notable, even if it’s just a feeling among other league executives and not something that is on the immediate horizon.

Young has struggled so far this season, shooting just 41.1% from the floor and 30.7% from three-point-range through 29 games. Those numbers are likely to rise, but the chemistry issues between he and the rest of the team date back to the Lloyd Pierce era. There may come a time when Young does decide to explore other options (and franchises) with his NBA career.

For now, this seems like speculation, but perhaps there is some validity to the reports given the overall discourse surrounding the organization and Young so far this season. This ripple comes just one day after Travis Schlenk decided to step down into an advisory role from his President of Basketball Operations job. It feels safe to say that nothing with the Hawks can be 100% certain going forward, including Young’s future with the team.

Stay tuned...