While he's not much of a defensive presence — and likely never will — Trae Young is one of the most promising offensive players in the NBA. He's the best player the Atlanta Hawks have had in quite some time and a box-office scorer who turns heads every time he's out there.
But Young has been tangled up in multiple stories and rumors throughout his brief career. There are some concerns about his character, and he might think and feel like he's better and more important than his teammates and the Hawks organization.
So, with the rumors of a potential rift between him and the front office, a new report states that Lakers GM Rob Pelinka could try and use his Draft assets to trade for him at the end of the season.
NBA Rumors: Klutch Sports Could Lead Trae Young To The Lakers
(Transcript via Eric Pinus — Bleacher Report)
"Bookmark this one for later. The Atlanta Hawks are looking to make changes, and while Trae Young is not asking out and the team isn't trying to trade him, this could be a hot topic in the offseason.
'I think Trae will want out after the season,' one NBA source said. 'The Hawks probably try to get out of John Collins and others by the deadline, but Trae's a long shot. Maybe the [Lakers] in July with his ties to Klutch [Sports].'
Atlanta already acquired a potential replacement in Dejounte Murray. While this may not be a trade deadline topic, keep an eye on the Hawks and their relationship with Young over the coming months."
So, yeah, it's Rich Paul's world, and we're just all living in it. Klutch Sports pretty much always gets away with murder, so it wouldn't be a surprise at all to see them pull off a master move to get Young to La La Land.
Of course, that would set the Lakers up for success for years to come, so giving up those two future first-round picks wouldn't be the end of the world. Young, on the other hand, would finally play for the big market he says he deserves.
