It surfaced this week that the Atlanta Hawks are working on trade options for Trae Young. The Kings have been rumored to be connected to a potential trade for Young for a while now, but in June Sam Amick reported that Sacramento was not interested in his offense-first style of play and the price of his contract. Amick reported Monday that they are still not interested:
“Sacramento has long been rumored as a possible suitor for Young, with the prospect of the Hawks landing former All-Star Zach LaVine in the process known to be of interest to the 30-year-old Kings guard. But a team source indicated on Monday that Sacramento has no interest in Young. That has been the Kings’ stance for quite some time now, and it remains unchanged.”
According to Cleaning The Glass, Young is in the 15th percentile in block%, 34th percentile in steal%, 0th percentile in offensive rebound% (yes, 0th) and 5th percentile in defensive rebounding%. He has played in 10 games this season, averaging 19.3 points, 8.9 assists and 30% from three.
He is owed $45.9 million this season and $48.9 million next season with a player option.
Good. No interest in Ja or Zion or Davis or Melo either. We really should move Domas, to get some return while he’s still in his 20s.
Too young? 😉
So, when does his plane land?
What if he came with the 2026 Pelicans first round pick attached?
Then yes. In a heartbeat. Take the pick and let him expire. Win.
Good.
The Six Pillars:
competitive
tough
team oriented
accountable
disciplined
professional
He is the most Steph Curry-ish of NBA players not wearing the #30 Warriors jersey. And he has amazing careers averages of 25+ppg/just under 9 apg. He is a poor defender, his 3FG is a disappointing 35%. He is relatively durable, though only has played 10 games this season. Atlanta is 3-7 in those contests, I believe.
I don’t want the guy, but he is a pretty good straight up trade for Zach Lavine. He has been relatively durable. He fits those six pillars.
The big knock, besides his diminutive stature and the liabilities of his defense is that his teams don’t win.
I dunno. If you look at Jman’s comment – what if it included the Pels 2026 FRP and Zach Lavine for Trae – that may be the best offer you get for Lavine – and I don’t think ATL would do that (but what about Sabonis?). And I’d rather him than LeMelo or Ja. Ja is the most stirring – but that attitude is a non-starter. LeMelo is the most entertaining, but he’s too injured and having him is too 6/7 (had to say it).
I just can’t imagine that DDR, Monk, Lavine, Sabonis, Schröder are all going to give you draft picks and young prospects without any “don’t want” attachments.
I don’t think they take LaVine, especially with the way NAW is playing for them. They’d probably want a ball handler back so Schröder being included is maybe a must.
I posted yesterday that if it were Dennis, DDR and Saric it works numbers wise, but IMO, ATL would need to attach some draft compensation to eat Young’s deal. In the end the Kings would have potentially two massive expiring contracts in LaVine and Young. Hell, they may even opt out to get the hell out of Sac.
Sabonis, Keon for Young and that FRP?
(works on Fanspo)
I just might say yes to that. That would likely be 2 top 5 picks in this year’s draft. However, the Kings would still need to move off of all the other vets.
That being said, I don’t see the Hawks moving that pick for anything. I mean, would you? Would you attach that Pels pick to move LaVine?
Heck no. That FRP is the whole raison d’etre for moving anyone.
Rebuilds with expiring vets on the tab is par for the course. Get the young hot prospect picks, not Monte McNair 22 year olds, and eat Lavine, Young or whomevers’ salaries and who become more movable (maybe) as expirings next season (Lavine is not opting out, he is perhaps signing for 3 yrs $75M a la Klay) and who knows, maybe Trae does the same.
Keep Trae Young as your starting PG has you move the more movable Dennis the Menace and maybe you draft a PG who needs a year or three.
I am basically repeating your take, which I like very much. DDR is the most movable as he is guaranteed only $10M next season.
But if I am ATL, Sabonis is a plus to them, not a salary dump. Giving up the FRP is getting something for them. I might do that, I think he fits them well. Also, you get a trial of Keon – Keon and Dyson D. would be nice.
Last add – Hawks have youth, having more in the draft asset ledger is nice, but like OKC, and Spurs – how much youth do you really need ? Maybe it’s time to fill out your roster with vet starters and role players.
What the Hawks do have is the Cavs pick, which right now is around 18. If they were to attach a pick first to move Trae, I imagine that would be the one they move.
Should the Cavs find their footing and the pick goes into the 20s, that is what I’d ask for as sweetener to a DDR, Dennis, Saric for Young trade. I’d also inquire about Asa Newell and/or Nikola Durisic to be included.
How about Sabonis, Schroeder and Keon for Young, Okongwu and the Cav’s FRP?
I’d say yes to that, but I don’t think ATL is giving up Okongwu, which is also why I don’t think they would want Sabonis.
The six pillars of doom.
All these fake intelligent quotes from Perry are already pissing me off big time.
That guy is just a bunch of hot air.
Wait a second….
How can you say that? An extensive search for a GM was done and he was clearly the choice. Vivek doesn’t make the same mistake twice (he said so).
An overrated undersized guard that doesn’t play defense and we dont wan’t him?!…progress… maybe??…
OK, let’s be contrarian –
I would trade LaVine for Young straight up, as I feel that (a) Young is the better player, and (b) you’re not going to do better for LaVine. And trading Fox for Young, SA’s 2027 pick and Minny’s 2031 pick is a far sight better than trading Fox for LaVine and those picks.
He ain’t coming, so it’s beside the point. But Young for LaVine would give the Kings slightly more assets than they have right now. And if it led to dealing Schroder or Westbrook, fine. I don’t see it fundamentally changing the win total for this year, so I’m not worried about that, either.
Bottom line, it’s probably along the lines of shuffling expensive deck chairs. But it’s not a deal that would damage the Kings further, and it might actually help a little.
My only issue here is, does Young result in a couple of more wins this season? Doesn’t matter obviously because it’s not happening but I otherwise agree with you.
What about trading for him and the key is the picks or other players you’d get in the deal, then if you didn’t resign him how much cap room would the Kings then have an expiring contract and cap space to sign free agents
I don’t think smaller guards who don’t play Defense don’t age well
Free Agents and The Sacramento Kings
Two things that don’t go together
sis – boom – bah
The sound a sheep makes as it explodes.
To the extent that this is true at all, it’s in the *very* short period between when Scott Perry gets to make his own trades and when Vivek runs out of patience and demands more and more and more counting stats players.
I’m sure Young’s people are devastated at this news.
For a .222 team that’s made the playoffs only once in almost two decades, is old, and has a paltry list of assets, to blanketly say ‘not intestesed’ without even knowing the offer sounds egotistical and asinine. Acting as if we’re too good for other teams’ distressed assets because it doesn’t fit a completely non-existent culture? Sigh. Other GMs (not to mention fans around the league!) are right now cooking up scenarios of how to get assets or dump unwanted contracts in a potential Young deal- either with the deal itself, or down the line. We should be kicking the tires on every possible deal, but for the millionth time under Vivek, we’re sitting on the sidelines and there’s zero effort to think of things from an asset-management perspective. Pure Kangz.
Trae’s off rebounding percentile is coincidentally the same as the Kings’ chances of ever being a successful team for more than 1 season Lol
Badge Legend