The trade deadline is still nearly two months out, but the chatter around some of the league’s leading stars including Trae Young are getting louder.
The Atlanta Hawks are winning without their franchise point guard, and that success has sparked fresh speculation about whether the front office could pivot toward long-term stability.
Bleacher Report Suggests Blockbuster Trae Young Trade
A new Bleacher Report proposal paints a dramatic picture: the Hawks potentially moving on from their $215 million star while he rehabs an MCL sprain and the team keeps climbing up the standings.
Young is currently sidelined with a right MCL sprain and is expected to miss at least two more weeks. The reigning NBA assist champion has already missed 15 games this season and is on track to miss at least seven more if the timeline holds.
Yet despite his absence, the Hawks have quietly been one of the league’s most consistent performers.
They’re 12–8, sitting fifth in the East, and even more notably, they’re 10–5 without Young. That stat and the style of play behind it is what’s fueling much of the trade speculation. Bleacher Report suggested that the Hawks have “hardly missed a beat” and, in fact, “fared a whopping 14.2 points better per 100 possessions without him this season.”
With Young in the second half of his five-year, $215,159,700 max contract, and this season being the final guaranteed year on the deal, the outlet raised the possibility that Atlanta might consider a reset that doesn’t involve bottoming out.
Their proposed trade sends Trae Young to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Jalen Green, Nick Richards, Rasheer Fleming, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick.
Bleacher Report argued that if the Suns, who lack a true starting-caliber point guard, want to solidify their surprising early-season success, Young could be the missing piece to unlock their offense. They’ve been relying on Dillon Brooks as their No. 2 scorer, a path few believe is sustainable for a deep playoff run.
“Maybe that has the Hawks envisioning a future without him, this is the last guaranteed season on his contract, and maybe the Suns would help bring that vision to the present. They’re off to a surprisingly successful start, but it’s easy to question its sustainability when they don’t have a starting-caliber point guard and are so far leaning on Dillon Brooks, a defensive pest, as their No. 2 scorer.”
For Atlanta, the appeal is depth, flexibility and youth.
“Green’s play-finishing would help highlight the playmaking punch of both Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels,” the proposal notes, adding that Richards could be a reliable frontcourt presence or a future trade chip. They also mention the importance of the draft picks, which would extend the Hawks’ asset base well into the next era.
More importantly, it gives Atlanta a pathway to retool without tanking — a crucial element given they won’t control their own first-round pick until 2028 due to previous trades.
Young’s absence has undeniably reshaped the conversation in Atlanta. The Hawks have moved the ball more freely, defended with greater energy and leaned heavily on emerging playmakers like Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels.
None of this discredits Young’s elite shot creation or his offensive gravity, but it has created real questions about whether Atlanta should continue building around him or take advantage of the combination of his value and the team’s surprising resilience.