All signs point to Atlanta moving on from Trae Young ahead of the Feb 5th trade deadline, with the team “indicating that they’re looking for the exit ramp” for the Hawks point guard, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. pic.twitter.com/Smo44lI7dV

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 29, 2025

With Saturday’s loss to the New York Knicks, the Atlanta Hawks have now lost six straight games since Trae Young’s return to the lineup, including five in which Young played for an overall 2-8 record with Young this season. Now, the team appears ready to part ways with their four-time all-star.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon believes the Hawks are ready to go in a different direction based on their non-attempt to sign Young to an extension. “The Hawks certainly are indicating that they’re looking for the exit ramp with Trae Young,” MacMahon said on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective.

He’s probably right.

Here’s the problem, though: the market for Young probably isn’t as robust as it would’ve been a couple years ago. Especially not with the $46 million price tag a trading partner would have to match. He’s a defensive liability and his style of offense, though prolific, hasn’t been good enough to offset those limitations in a winning way this year.

So which teams might be interested in that type of player? It would likely be a team already in playoff position with enough defensive chops to cover for Young — or a rebuilding franchise hoping Young could be the star piece it’s missing — or a team that’s just completely desperate. With that said, here are five teams that fit one of those categories.

5. Washington Wizards

The Wizards have been tanking for a few years, accumulating some nice young talent, and they want to continue losing this season considering the type of talent at the top of the 2026 draft. But they still lack a star, and at some point, the rebuild has to start bearing fruits. Young might just be the point guard they need to bring it all together.

The league’s seventh-ranked defense, Houston could certainly absorb Young and continue to thrive. And he fills several needs for a team that lost its starting point guard, Fred VanVleet, just before the season started, and a team that attempts the fewest threes in the entire NBA. But making the money work without losing other valuable pieces would be a struggle.

3. Milwaukee Bucks

Could the Bucks make another last-ditch effort at keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo by trading for Young? I’m not sure it’d be enough, but after they thought Myles Turner would help, it’s hard to put it past the Bucks. This is what desperation looks like. Besides, outside of Antetokounmpo, no one else on that team is really untouchable.

It’s hard to believe Minnesota won’t do anything before the trade deadline after two straight trips to the conference finals with nothing to show for it. Maybe they convince themselves Young can fill their hole at point guard. Right now, their leader in assists is Julius Randle at 5.7 per game.

It feels like the Heat come up in every trade conversation, but Tyler Herro’s inability to stay healthy leaves the team with a need for a floor-spacing guard. Not only would Young exceed Herro’s scoring punch, he would add a lot more playmaking, which could open up Miami’s offense even more. With Bam Adebayo and the league’s fourth-ranked defense, it might be worth a swing for the Heat.