Kings Make Decision on Blockbuster Trae Young Trade: Report originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Sacramento Kings need a point guard after trading away De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in the recently concluded season. Without a legitimate point guard, the Kings struggled to finish the season strong. The team had to go through the entire campaign with various players at the lead guard position.
Advertisement
According to reports, the Kings have explored their options in the trade market for a new guard. One of the players they took an interest in is Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young. The four-time All-Star is an exciting player who can benefit from playing alongside Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Additionally, the frontcourt tandem of Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas gives Young more options offensively.
However, a trade did not push through, and Sam Amick of The Athletic explained why.
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young dribbles the ball against Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray.Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
According to Amick, the Kings didn’t like Young’s play style, which is more on the offensive side.
“Similarly, there was a push among some power-brokers for Sacramento to go after Atlanta’s Trae Young, but league sources say the Kings didn’t have interest because of his style of play (offense-first) and cost (he’s extension-eligible this summer but is slated to earn $45.9 million next season and has a player option worth $48.9 million in 2026-27),” Amick wrote.
Advertisement
In terms of offense, the Kings don’t have a problem. They have LaVine and DeRozan, who are both skilled offensive stars. Moreover, their starting frontcourt players are known to be offensive assets.
Amick also reported that the Kings explored the possibility of trading for Jrue Holiday before the Boston Celtics shipped him to the Portland Trail Blazers. However, his age (35) and salary ($104.4 million) were a concern.
For Young, the Hawks haven’t done much to hint that they are willing to part ways with him. The team’s recent trade activity (trading for Kristaps Porzingis) suggests that the organization is willing to build a competitive group around the All-Star.
Related: ‘Push’ Made for Surprise California Team to Trade for Hawks’ Trae Young
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.