San Antonio Spurs Could Have 'Easily' Traded For Trae Young

The San Antonio Spurs were included in pretty much every trade rumor this offseason, but they did not make a blockbuster deal, instead opting to sign free agent Chris Paul and trade for Harrison Barnes in a smaller move. Despite all the murmurings around the NBA that the Spurs would use their war chest of draft picks to swing a deal, the Spurs mostly stood pat.

Trae Young was one of the best players the Spurs were connected to, and since San Antonio owns three of Atlanta's future first-round draft picks, it seemed like the Hawks would be itching to make a deal and regain control of their future. However, the Spurs decided the deal was not worth it, and they might have not been alone. ESPN's Tim MacMahon thinks the NBA as a whole has decided not to trade for Young.

“The simple fact of the matter is if there was a real market for Trae Young he’d be somewhere else right now," he said on a recent episode of Brian Windhorst and the Hoops Collective. "It’s not like [Atlanta] got some kind of wild blockbuster return for Dejounte Murray, it was okay, but it wasn't anything comparable to any star trades we've seen."

After the Hawks failed to make another meaningful playoff run following their Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2021, it became apparent that Young would most likely not be the best player on a winning team. However, in San Antonio, he would certainly play second-fiddle to Victor Wembanyama and was seen as the ideal offensive partner to Wemby.

MacMahon seems to think that the Spurs had a shot at trading for Young but ultimately decided it wouldn't be worth giving Atlanta back its draft capital.

"The San Antonio Spurs, if they wanted Trae Young, they could have easily could have gone and gotten him, and that wasn't even a bet on Trae Young as your best player, that was Trae Young as your second-best player," he explained. "There wasn't a real market for him."

Young is only 25 years old and has already played in three All-Star Games. Last season, he averaged 25.7 points and 10.8 assists, solidifying his spot as one of the best scorers and facilitators in the NBA. However, his career mark of 35.5 percent from deep has hurt his trade value, as he is not as efficient as other sharpshooters in the league, but still attempted 8.7 threes per game, good for fifth in the NBA.

He is also not a great defender, and the Spurs are making defense their calling card. While there is little doubt that he would space the floor and find Wembanyama down low, the front office fully believes in Stephon Castle's ability to run the offense and hit some shots, while also defending at a high level.

Related: Will the San Antonio Spurs Have a Depth Chart Conflict in the Frontcourt?

With Atlanta starting down the barrel of a few losing seasons before they can right their ship, the draft picks they owe the Spurs will be incredibly valuable, especially with a loaded draft class in 2025.