On Monday evening, Shams Charania reported that the Atlanta Hawks are working with Trae Young to find a trade for the star point guard. This came after Marc Stein reported that the Washington Wizards have emerged as a legitimate suitor for Young with CJ McCollum as the centerpiece.
Just in: Atlanta Hawks All-Star Trae Young and his agents, Aaron Mintz, Drew Morrison and Austin Brown, are working with the franchise on a trade, sources tell ESPN. Young's reps and the Hawks have started collaborative talks over the last week on finding a resolution. pic.twitter.com/dUCNnDKqTt
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 5, 2026
There hasn't been official reporting linking Trae to the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, it's easy to connect the dots given Minnesota's need for a point guard, and it would surprise nobody if the Wolves entered the sweepstakes to some degree. Plus, I bet Young would prefer to play for a competitive team like the Wolves.
Seeing McCollum mentioned as a possible centerpiece may make it seem like Young is an attainable trade target for the Timberwolves. Nevertheless, there's a key difference between the Wolves and Wizards: Minnesota doesn't have any undesirable contracts, and as such, would have to pay a higher price for Trae.
A Trae Young-Timberwolves trade is unlikely
Young is on a $45.9 million contract and has a $48.9 million player option for next season. As a first apron team, it's inherently difficult for the Timberwolves to trade for him. There are some pathways to making a deal work, none of which would be ideal, though.
The easiest path to the Timberwolves trading for Young would be a package centered around Julius Randle, Mike Conley (or Donte DiVincenzo), and some young talent. Now, I'm sure there are varying opinions among Wolves fans about this possibility, but I wouldn't go down this road.
Frankly, I think Randle is the better player at this point, and chipping into your depth isn't ideal for a team that is already thin.
Young has been injured for most of the season, but his production is way down. Notably, Young is averaging 19.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 8.9 assists on 41.5/30.5/86.3 shooting splits. By all accounts, this has been his least productive season since his rookie year. Furthermore, the Hawks are 6.3 points per 100 possessions worse with Trae on the court per Cleaning the Glass.
Nevertheless, Young's fit with Anthony Edwards is intriguing, and he would certainly take significant pressure off Ant as a playmaker and shot creator. I'm sure fans who are lower on Randle might approve of this trade -- but I'm not one of these people.
It's also worth wondering if the Hawks would see Randle as a natural fit with Jalen Johnson and the rest of their team. The Wolves have made Jaden McDaniels untouchable, and you'd expect they'd do the same with Rudy Gobert, especially if they're trading for a poor defender in Trae.
That leaves us with Naz Reid as a possible trade centerpiece. That sounds interesting in theory, but Reid only makes $21.5 million this year and can't be traded until January 15. To match Young's contract, the Wolves would have to trade three more players than they'd receive. Such trades are a rarity and for a reason -- given the Wolves' lack of depth, this would be especially risky.
I don't mind trading for Young at the price, and his hypothetical fit with the Wolves is intriguing. However, considering the Timberwolves' cap situation, no such deal exists.