The Atlanta Hawks winning the NBA Draft lottery gave the Los Angeles Lakers a much-needed boost in their summer plan to trade for three-time All-Star point guard Trae Young.
Dejounte Murray was in trade negotiations with the Hawks.” At the May 12 draft lottery, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski stated, “I think the chances of trade negotiations with Trae Young this spring and into the summer are quite real, too.
Young might become available before the Hawks get their first-round choice on June 26, so Stephen Noh of Sporting News suggested a trade that might get the Lakers their third star. but at the price of native talent Austin Reaves, who is a fan favorite.
Noh’s Request for a Trade:
The Lakers get: Trae Young
Hawks acquire: 2029 first round selection, 2031 first round pick, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, and this year’s No. 17 pick.
In any deal, the Lakers would have to match Young’s $43.0 million payroll. From a financial perspective, Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, and Gabe Vincent would complete that swap. They might also include every one of their projected first-round picks.
For Young, this is a high price to pay. Reaves’s inclusion in particular would hurt. The Lakers might attempt to replace him with Jarred Vanderbilt, although Noh speculated that they might lose that offer.
In the weeks preceding the trade deadline, the Lakers were hesitant to include Reaves in the Dejounte Murray negotiations.
In case a bidding war breaks out between the Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs, who are led by Victor Wembanyama and are considering a combination with Young, Noh pointed out that the Lakers also have five second-round picks at their disposal, as reported by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
