Now That The Hawks Have Traded Trae Young, Is An Anthony Davis Blockbuster Trade Next?

Trae Young is now on the Washington Wizards, but does that shut the door on the Hawks potentially trading for Anthony Davis?

Jan 6, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) holds onto the ball next to Sacramento Kings forward Precious Achiuwa (9) in the second quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

After nearly eight full seasons as the face of the Atlanta Hawks franchise, Trae Young has been traded.

During the Hawks' game against the New Orleans Pelicans last night, ESPN's Shams Charania broke the news that Young was going to be traded to the Washington Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.

Things began to heat up this week when NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Wizards had emerged as a legitimate destination for Young, and things progressed with each day. Now the Hawks are going to turn the page on one era and begin one that does not include their all-time leader in assists.

Is this move all for the Hawks or could something bigger be brewing? After Young was traded, Charania hinted that other moves might be on the way for the Hawks, including a potential trade for star forward Anthony Davis.

Moving Young also provides Atlanta with added financial flexibility to pursue a large salary over the next several months – with Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis as a prime in-season trade target.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 8, 2026

Should the Hawks trade for Davis?

Jan 6, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) shoots the ball before the start of the game against the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The Hawks have been linked to Davis for weeks, but with reports stating that the Mavericks were not interested in acquiring Young, the Hawks were going to have to wait to move him before they could seriously pursue the All-NBA forward. Now that Young is in Washington, will the Hawks re-visit the talks with the Mavericks.

It is certainly possible, but I don't think that a trade should be considered imminent. There is still a few weeks before the deadline and plenty of time to negotiate a deal.

While McCollum and Kispert are fine fits with the Hawks, the best part of this trade for the Hawks is the flexibility and optionality that the team now has.

With McCollum, Porzingis, and Luke Kennard, the Hawks have more than $70 million in expiring contracts that could turn into cap room this summer or be moved for a big-time player via trade, like Davis. The Hawks also have multiple draft picks and a young player like Zaccharie Risacher, who could be enticing to teams, though it has been reported that the Hawks are reluctant to move Risacher in a deal or Davis.

The players they have under contract next season are Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, Corey Kispert, Asa Newell, Vit Krejci, Mouhamed Gueye (team option for next season), and N'Flay Dante. McCollum, Porzingis, and Kennard are all going to be gone, and if the team wanted maximum flexibility, they could decline the team option on Gueye, though I highly doubt that is something that will happen. Not only that, they could have two first round picks, including a shot at the No. 1 overall pick, thanks to the trade with the Pelicans.

It is easy to see why the Hawks would be interested in acquiring Davis. Despite his injury history, Davis is still an elite player, especially on defense. The Hawks would become one of the most intriguing teams in the East and Davis would be one of the three best players in the conference. Atlanta has struggled due their lack of size, defense, and rebounding this season and Davis would fix all of those problems if healthy.

That said, trading for Davis is of course a huge risk. His lack of availability would be concerning and he wants a massive contract extension that will be paying him big money well into his 30s. That seems like too big of a risk for a Hawks team that is now trying to build their franchise around Jalen Johnson and a potential top pick in next year's draft.

Over the coming weeks, the Hawks are going to be linked to Davis and a trade is certainly possible, but it is far from a guarantee and the Hawks should exercise caution if considering trading for him.