The Atlanta Hawks and Trae Young seem to be heading for a split. The star guard has been mentioned in trade rumors for a while now, and it seems like that’s the most likely path forward.
What Teams Is Trae Young Interested in According to One NBA Insider?
Trading Young is easier said than done, however, thanks to his large salary and underwhelming play this season. Still, one NBA insider is reporting that Young’s camp has two teams circled as options.
At one time, Young would have commanded a king’s ransom in a trade. However, the star guard has only played in 10 games this season, and the results haven’t been all that encouraging.
Young is currently averaging 19.3 points, 8.9 assists, and 1.5 rebounds on career-worst 30.5% shooting from three. The Hawks are 2-8 when Young plays this season.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Young’s camp has shown interest in joining the Brooklyn Nets or Minnesota Timberwolves. However, that interest has seemingly not been reciprocated by either team.
“I’m told that Young’s camp has suggested Minnesota and Brooklyn, from their side, as two attractive potential destinations,” Fischer explained. “Yet, I’m also told that neither the Timberwolves nor the Nets are in pursuit.”
Trae Young has shown interest in potentially joining Brooklyn or Minnesota, but neither team has shown interest back 😬, per @JakeLFischer
“I’m told that Young’s camp has suggested Minnesota and Brooklyn, from their side, as two attractive potential destinations. Yet I’m also… pic.twitter.com/7TWoFugHrV
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 7, 2026
It would be tough for the Timberwolves to make a Young trade work even if they were interested. The team would almost certainly have to move either Julius Randle or Rudy Gobert, and both are important pieces of the rotation.
The Nets have some interesting young assets and could include Michael Porter Jr for salary-matching purposes. However, as Fischer explained, neither team has shown much interest in making a deal happen.
Young has a cap hit of just under $46 million this season and then has a player option worth $48.9 million for next season.
Young Era Seemingly Coming to an End in Atlanta
Young has been with the Hawks since being drafted out of Oklahoma in 2018. The star guard has been an All-Star four times and led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2020-21 season.
However, the Hawks haven’t had any playoff success since then and appear to be headed for the Play-In Tournament again this season. The Hawks are sitting at 17-21 and are in third place in the Southeast Division.
It seems like a split is the best scenario for both parties. The Hawks are now led by star forward Jalen Johnson, and Young may be able to have a career resurgence in a new city.