NBA All-Star Weekend is where the league's best players meet and compete and one such pairing quickly drew the attention of both San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks fans. With rumors swirling about the availability of Hawks guard Trae Young, he was indirectly asked about a player with whom he could be teammates within a few months.
Young was asked about who the ideal player would be for Spurs star Victor Wembanyama to play alongside, and he had this to say:
Trae Young on what player the Spurs should pair up with Wemby:
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 17, 2024
“The kind of player that can make life easier for him, help him win championships.”
(via @najeeadams_) pic.twitter.com/hc8HpCQrTa
It sounds as though Young is describing himself and the Spurs discussed a deal involving him with the Hawks ahead of the trade deadline. If he becomes available this summer, they could be the top contender to acquire him.
Did Wembanyama try to recruit Trae Young to the Spurs over the all-star weekend?
San Antonio's interest in Young is fascinating because the Hawks acquired star Dejounte Murray from the Spurs and that deal has hurt the Hawks. Actually, it has resulted in Atlanta gauging whether to move their best players.
Considering Atlanta doesn't have control of their draft picks for the next three seasons, and they probably aren't going to be able to rebuild through free agency, trading Young for a haul appears to be a strong possibility.
He could fetch them as many as four draft picks, which the Spurs have available to offer, including Atlanta's own selections. For his part, Wembanyama was seen talking and joking with Young during the all-star weekend, leading to speculation that he was actively recruiting him for the Spurs.
I promise this is all that matters to me this weekend is this single moment pic.twitter.com/vmo1B00rcC
— 𝗕𝗞𝗕 (@brayknowball) February 18, 2024
Were the Spurs to land Young, he'd be a dream fit playing next to Wembanyama. He is one of the top scorers in the NBA and has averaged at least 25 points over the last four seasons. He has accomplished that by being one of the better high-volume 3-point shooters in the league and drawing dubious fouls to consistently get to the free throw line.
Not only that, but he is a terrific passer and is on the verge of averaging 10 assists per game for the second straight year. He is adept at tossing lobs to big men, specifically Clint Capela so he would have no problem finding Wembanyama several times a game for easy dunks.
Overall, the idea of stars recruiting other stars for their team isn't new. And given Wembanyama's status as a rising superstar and the Hawks inability to build a successful team around Young, it's possible that he could demand a trade or the Hawks could decide to move on from him. Were either to happen, the Spurs could be near the top of his wish list.