Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks appear headed for a divorce. The star guard has long been featured in trade rumors, and it seems like a trade is now the most likely outcome.
Young has only played in 10 games this season, and the team has arguably been worse with the star on the court. Now, one NBA insider has revealed a significant issue that could impact Young’s value.
NBA Insider Reveals Problem With Trading Trae Young
In the 10 games Young has played this season, the Hawks have a disappointing 2-8 record. Young is averaging 19.3 points, 8.9 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game, while shooting a career-worst 30.5% from behind the arc.
On Tuesday, NBA insider Sam Amick appeared on FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back.” Amick was asked about a possible trade and offered a troubling response when asked if this is the lowest Young’s value has ever been.
“For sure,” Amick answered. “I feel for him. He took that franchise to the Conference Finals some years ago, but the fit, obviously right now, is not great.”
“Is this the lowest Trae Young’s value has been?” – Chandler Parsons
“For sure.” – Sam Amick
Sam explains why the Hawks are ready to trade their star after years of rumors 😳@sam_amick | @MichelleDBeadle | @boogiecousins | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/twcl68dibT
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 6, 2026
Without Young, Jalen Johnson has emerged as the most important Hawk. Johnson is averaging 23.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 8.4 assists while shooting 52.1% from the field.
The problem is, Young is having the worst shooting season of his career, and he’s never been a good defender. Is anybody going to trade for a guard who doesn’t play defense and has a $48.9 million player option for next season? As Amick explained, Young’s value is at an all-time low, but it also seems like the relationship is beyond repair.
“The Hawks have bought into this idea that it’s time to get this guy out of the group and see if we can grow and have a different look on the floor,” Amick explained.
Hawks’ Disappointing 2025-26 Season After High Expectations
The Hawks had high expectations placed on them heading into the offseason. The team brought in talented wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker and big man Kristaps Porziņģis to join a core of Young, Johnson, and Dyson Daniels.
However, the Hawks have struggled to find any consistency this season. According to NBA Advanced Stats, the Hawks are 16th in net defense rating and 18th in net offense rating. The team is just 2-8 over its last 10 games and recently endured a seven-game losing streak.
Trading Young would free up some money and hopefully yield some positive assets for the future. The problem is, how many teams will be interested in the pricey guard at this point?
