The San Antonio Spurs have been linked to Trae Young for months. However, acquiring the Atlanta Hawks point guard doesn’t seem to be atop the team’s list of priorities.
The Spurs recently signed Chris Paul to serve as a steadying backcourt presence for the team’s rising superstar Victor Wembanyama. But given that Paul is 39 years old, the role of Wembanyama’s point guard of the future remains unfulfilled.
The Spurs control the Hawks’ 2025 and 2027 first-round picks and own a pick swap in 2026 due to the 2022 trade that shipped Dejounte Murray to Atlanta.
San Antonio’s control over Atlanta’s picks makes the Spurs the most logical trade partner for the Hawks if they decide to trade Young. But according to a recent report from ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the Spurs have “not shown much interest” in such a deal.
San Antonio would rather “hold [the Hawks] hostage” with the picks rather than cash them in for Young, per the report.
After making the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, the Hawks have failed to advance past the first round in each of the last three years. Atlanta missed the playoffs entirely last season.
The Hawks look further than ever from being a serious contender after trading away Murray to a Western Conference team. The Spurs are banking on the picks being more valuable than anything Young could potentially bring to the table.
The Spurs aren’t the only team that has seemingly soured on the idea of trading for Young.
