NBA
An NBA Executive thinks the LA Lakers are in the market to trade for Trae Young this offseason if Atlanta doesn’t make a move first
![Trae Young pic](https://www.basketballinsiders.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Trae-Young-pic.jpg)
Both the Lakers and Hawks are playing in their respective first-round series of the 2023 playoffs. While their seasons are still in play at the moment, one NBA executive has made speculations about what he thinks the Lakers will do in the offseason. It involves them trading for Hawks all-star SG Trae Young. The 24-year-old is under contract through the 2025-26 season, but the Lakers could make a splash this summer and go after Young.
D’Angelo Russell is the starting PG for the Lakers in the playoffs, but his play has been quite poor through their first two games. Trae Young has made the playoffs in three of his five NBA seasons and averages (25.1) points and (8.5) assists through 23 career playoff games.
Young has been a reliable piece in for the Hawks and they even made the Eastern Conference Finals back in 2021. The Lakers could value Young as a serious trade target this offseason.
An NBA Executive believes the Lakers will target Trae Young
“They went out and got tradeable pieces. If the Hawks don’t make a move in the summer, the Lakers would be a possibility next season… I also don’t buy that every guy who signs with Klutch is going to the Lakers, that… pic.twitter.com/00GGUpmIEA
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 21, 2023
Are the Lakers serious about possibly trading for Trae Young this off-season?
The two-time all-star just finished his fifth season with the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged a double-double for the first time in his career with (26.2) points and (10.2) assists in 73 games this season. Young is a smaller player at six-foot-one and he has his flaws on the court.
Atlanta currently uses Young as their primary scoring option and does most of the work setting up his teammates. His role decreased slightly this season with the addition of Dejounte Murray, but the all-star PG is still a serious threat in this league. The Lakers currently have LeBron James and Anthony Davis as their one-two punch. Adding Trae Young could make that offense one of the best in the league.
There have been rumors about the Lakers keeping their current group together. That is subject to change depending on how far the Lakers make it this postseason.