The Denver Nuggets are leading the Los Angeles Lakers 3-0 for the second straight season, and it appears that the Nuggets will sweep the Lakers. All season long, there has been buzz that the Lakers are still searching for a third star to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and once the Nuggets series is officially over, that discussion will only intensify. Although James is getting close to retirement and they will need to find someone to partner with Davis once he is gone, James and Davis are still outstanding players.
The Hawks’ standout point guard Trae Young is the guy the Lakers are most likely to seek. For a short while now, there have been whispers linking Young to the Lakers. Given how the Hawks’ season has gone, it seems likely that Atlanta will part ways with both Young and Dejounte Murray.
NBA analyst Mo Dakhil (Bleacher Report and The Athletic) stated that he wants to see the Lakers trade for Trae Young after the season while he was discussing the Lakers’ most recent defeat to the Nuggets on the most recent episode of the Lowe Post Podcast, which was hosted by ESPN analyst Zach Lowe:
“I simply wanted to put it out there. I hope they acquire Trae Young. Reflecting on the Cleveland days, I believe that Trae Young could fill the role of Kyrie Irving if LeBron stays around. I also believe that the Lakers would be a wonderful match for Young. Since they missed out on Kyrie Irving, I believe that the Lakers need to make a run at Trae because he is a young player who can relieve LeBron of some of his pressure. If I were the Lakers, I would make that move, but they have a lot of questions to answer.”
Given that the Hawks are probably going to trade one of Young or Murray, it makes logical that the Lakers would try to pursue one of them as they aim to rebuild their squad around James and Davis this summer.
I continue to believe that the Hawks will sell Murray and retain Young. With Young, they have a bigger potential and one of the best players in team history. The reason Atlanta is in this situation is because they did a bad job building a roster around him.
In his farewell interview on Friday, Young restated his desire to stay in Atlanta and pursue championships:
“Obviously, I want to be here, but I also want to win. Teams change every year. My slogan has been “winning,” and that has been my way of life since the beginning. I want to stay here, I want to win championships here, and I want to do that, but all I want is to win.”
Young said the following in response to the question of whether he believed he could win with the Hawks or with someone else:
“I believe it can be here, we just have to make it happen.”
If you are the Hawks considering a possible deal, it is difficult to get excited about what the Lakers may give other than some draft selections. Although Austin Reaves is a fascinating talent, a player of Trae Young’s quality shouldn’t be the main target of a trade.
The Lakers and Hawks will have a busy offseason, and when the new season begins, both clubs probably won’t look the same.
