The Los Angeles Lakers have been frequently mentioned by experts as a likely destination to acquire Trae Young, the three-time All-Star point guard from the Atlanta Hawks. However, it seems that this interest has now diminished.
During the July 15 episode of “The Lowe Post” podcast on ESPN, Zach Lowe and Kevin Pelton discussed the possibility of the Lakers trading for Trae Young, who is under a lucrative five-year, $215.2 million contract with Atlanta. They explored what Los Angeles might need to offer to secure Young and whether the Lakers’ management is currently interested in pursuing such a deal.
Zach Lowe commented, “If the Lakers were willing to offer all of their draft picks, including their most recent pick Dalton Knecht, along with other valuable assets, Trae Young could already be a Laker. But those negotiations haven’t materialized. There’s been a cooling off from some teams on him, and that’s where things stand now.”
The Lakers have the option to trade unprotected first-round picks in 2029 and 2031, in addition to Dalton Knecht, their first-round selection in the 2024 NBA draft. Young is set to earn over $43 million next season, so including D’Angelo Russell and his remaining contract of nearly $19 million could serve as salary filler in any potential deal.
Further assets that could be part of the package, according to Lowe’s mention of “good stuff,” might include promising young players such as Max Christie, who recently signed a four-year extension worth $32 million with the Lakers during this offseason.
