This upcoming offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers will be looking to add a third star to their roster to join LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young has “continually” been suggested as a possibility.
When asked if Los Angeles might pursue a third star during a Q&A session, Jovan Buha of The Athletic gave the story (55:30 mark).
“Yes, they are,” Buha stated, according to Lakers Daily’s Jesse Cinquini. “And I have several sources to support that. This offseason, they’re going third-star hunting. And we’ll watch how that plays out for D’Lo (D’Angelo Russell). We will see how it plays out. In practically every deal involving a third-star player, Austin [Reaves] must be lost.
“… Who’s accessible now? Trae Young is the one name I hear a lot. He has previously attended Laker playoff games. He is a customer of Klutch Sports. At the moment, that seems to be the most feasible option. What transpires between Kyrie Irving and Dallas? Do they go out of control? In the play-in, do they lose? Do they not win the first round? Does Dallas end up breaking that up? What is the market for Kyrie, after that?
“Donovan Mitchell, there seems to be a growing amount of optimism and talk that he will remain in Cleveland.” But because he’s from the greater New York region, the two New York clubs have reportedly been favorites even if he goes.”
In his sixth NBA season, Young has averaging 10.8 assists and 26.4 points per game thus far this year. The Hawks’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020–21 marked the zenith of the three-time All-Star’s career.
The Hawks haven’t performed as well since, though, and a coaching change and a number of roster adjustments haven’t improved things. After a few years as a marginal playoff club, the Hawks are now 34–39 and ranked 10th in the Eastern Conference. To even qualify for the playoffs, the Hawks will probably have to battle their way out of the play-in round.
The Young-Dejounte Murray combination hasn’t worked out, and they aren’t even close to being championship contenders.
Young trade rumors have persisted throughout the Hawks’ struggles and should only pick up steam this summer.
Notably, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin revealed on January 23 that Los Angeles had held internal talks about pursuing a “bona fide star” like Young or Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Lakers are destined for a position in the play-in tournament as they are having difficulty qualifying for the playoffs as well.
They basically carried over the roster from the previous season, which advanced to the Western Conference Finals, but should the Lakers suffer yet another dismal postseason exit, adjustments may be in store to make the most of James-Davis’ window.
Young has three seasons remaining on a five-year contract at $215,159,700, so adding him won’t be cheap. However, he does have an early termination option that he can exercise after the 2025–2026 season.
But at this point, it’s impossible to ignore the smoke rising from Young’s connection to the Lakers.