San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama reportedly is intrigued by the idea of playing with Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young.
“I will say I have talked to people who know Wemby who have indicated he is at least intrigued by the idea,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said on the Hoop Collective podcast. “Now, intrigued by that idea and pounding the table are two very different things. I have no idea whether Gregg Popovich would be intrigued by the idea.”
Young is under contract with the Hawks through the 2025-26 season and has a player option for the 2026-27 season. However, Atlanta could look to move him – or guard Dejounte Murray – this coming offseason to reshape the roster.
The Spurs could be a team that is interested in adding a proven point guard, especially if Wembanyama is interested in having one on the roster, as they look to maximize the roster around the reigning Rookie of the Year for the 2024-25 season.
During the 2023-24 season, Tre Jones started 48 games at the point guard position for the Spurs, but he’s not nearly as talented as Young, who has made three All-Star games in his career.
San Antonio has a ton of draft assets, especially after the lottery on Sunday, as it landed two picks inside the top 10, including the No. 4 selection in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The San Antonio Spurs will have picks 4, 8, 35, and 48 in the 2024 NBA Draft.
— Josh Paredes (@Josh810) May 12, 2024
Atlanta owns the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and it could be open to rebuilding the roster a bit by trading Young for a package of assets.
That could make it possible for the Spurs to make a big trade, especially since Wembanyama showed in his rookie season that he is on his way to becoming one of the league’s best players.
As a rookie, Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and an NBA-leading 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 32.5 percent from 3-point range.
Young could be a perfect fit with the rising star center, as he’s one of the league’s best passers. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Young averaged 10.8 assists per game in the 2023-24 season, and he averages 9.5 assists per game for his NBA career.
In two of the last three seasons, Young has led the NBA in total assists.
Ultimately, the Spurs would need to be content with giving up a package of players and picks for Young, but it could help them return to playoff contention as soon as the 2024-25 season.
