On January 5, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news that multi-time NBA All-Star Trae Young and his agents were working with the Atlanta Hawks to organize a trade. It’s been long rumored that Young’s days in Atlanta were nearing an end, especially after questions arose about his true impact on winning, the Hawks’ inconsistent seasons since their 2021 East Finals run, and the emerging development of superstar Jalen Johnson.
NBA insider Marc Stein would further add to the trade drama in his Substack (subscription required), as per sources, that the Washington Wizards emerged as a legitimate trade destination for the 27-year-old star. Washington has the assets to influence the Hawks' front office in their favor. They have an expiring CJ McCollum salary, a player like Corey Kispert or AJ Johnson, and protected draft capital — a return the Hawks can comfortably accept. This would allow them to pivot into a more favorable salary cap position and keep the window open to add a high-ceiling star down the line.
Now, one team that hasn't really been mentioned among the frontrunners in the Trae Young sweepstakes (if you even want to call it that) is the Toronto Raptors (aside from chatter within the Raptors fan circles, that is). Ironically enough, it was in Toronto where Trae Young was when this news broke, as the Raptors prepared to host the Hawks in a back-to-back matchup, while the four-time All-Star sat on the sidelines recovering from injury.
Sure, a team like Washington might be the frontrunner right now, but people forget what the Raptors were able to achieve in a similar situation. There was a guy whose star was slowly fading, quickly started to not fit his team’s outlook, was in desperate need of a change of scenery, and seemed like no one else really wanted to take a flyer on him: Brandon Ingram, ring a bell?
Raptors are well-positioned to enter Trae Young trade discussions
The Raptors managed to leverage an expiring deal with Bruce Brown, who didn’t stick around in New Orleans, along with the contract of veteran Kelly Olynyk, and a low-risk first-round pick that eventually got rerouted back to Indiana, where it originally came from. Now, Trae Young might be in a slightly different situation, but I still see some similarities here. It’s the perfect chance for Toronto to once again swoop in and add a big name — at least for their market — whose potential to elevate the offense and boost star power for the team is something to watch closely.
Young is widely considered one of the NBA's most questionable defenders and is often seen as a huge liability on that end. There are also lingering questions about his ability to elevate a team's ceiling, especially given his high usage and shooting volume. Still, despite these concerns, when Trae Young is playing at his best, there's no denying he's one of the league's most effective playmakers, while his shooting range and offensive skills still deserve plenty of credit.
Toronto is facing its own problems right now with some emerging 'black hole' players, if you will, in Jakob Poeltl and Immanuel Quickley. Both are high-cost guys who are being hampered by issues that are preventing them from impacting winning. The Raptors could respond to this trade buzz by taking advantage of the window to get rid of one of these negative assets. While they might also acquire another player who may be teetering on a similar front, it could signal a fresh start with Young and bring out his best — something too high-reward for the Raptors to ignore.