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Top Five Trae Young Trade Destinations As Atlanta Hawks Star Wants Out cover image
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TJ French
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Updated at Jan 7, 2026, 21:29
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Whispers of a Trae Young exit are growing louder. What are the top five NBA teams where the star point guard could ignite a championship chase?

Trae Young's time with the Atlanta Hawks has very likely come to an end. NBA reporter Shams Charania has already reported that Young has begun talks with his agents and Hawks' GM Onsi Saleh about finding a landing destination. 

At this time, the rumors surrounding Trae Young and where he might end up are getting louder. 

But what are the top five Trae Young trade destinations in terms of best fit for Young? And which NBA teams benefit from making a deal for the four-time All-Star point guard? 

Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards seem to have emerged as the favorite to land Trae Young in a deal that also might be centered around CJ McCollum, who is on an expiring contract. A big reason Trae fits in with the Wizards is because of the franchise's need for a 'star' player to help rebuild the Washington basketball reputation. Trae Young would bring a playmaker mentality to the Wizards, who have some young pieces. 

Dallas Mavericks

Whenever the original Trae Young rumors started to spurt up a few weeks ago, the Dallas Mavericks were thought to be a strong landing destination, and star forward Anthony Davis had even been in the conversation to be brought over to Atlanta. Those reports have cooled down, but it still makes sense for the Mavericks to be in the running for Young, as he could help facilitate the offense to Cooper Flagg, who is slowly but steadily starting to put up good scoring averages. 

Los Angeles Clippers

This is where things could get interesting, and potentially even really beneficial for the Hawks. The Clippers have two former Hawks players in John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanović who could be potential trade pieces. 

The problem is the Clippers have James Harden, who is a primary ball handler like Young, but there's nothing wrong with having a strong backcourt, especially for a struggling Clippers team. 

Milwaukee Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks might be interested in trading for Trae Young to entice the MVP forward to stay in Milwaukee. As currently constructed, it's unclear if Giannis and company have enough to make a deep run in the NBA playoffs, but if Trae can get healthy and become refreshed for March and April, making this trade for him might make sense from the Bucks perspective. 

Los Angeles Lakers

Would the Los Angeles Lakers even want Trae Young? In mocks all across the league, the Lakers always seem to pop, and no shock that they have once again, with a big-time name entering the trade landscape. Los Angeles really has a tandem of ball handlers in both LeBron James and Luka Doncic.