What a Trae Young-Brooklyn Nets Trade Could Mean for Both Sides

Exploring the potential impact of a Trae Young trade to the Brooklyn Nets, including fit, roster changes and long-term implications for both the team and the All-Star guard.

Apr 11, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) reacts after scoring against the Philadelphia 76ers in the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Trae Young's relationship with the city of New York is a well-documented one.

When the four-time All-Star visits the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, fans yell and scream at the 6-foot-1 guard, typically due to a monster performance that results in a loss for the hosts.

Heading into an offseason that's projected to see many stars move, Young could find himself calling New York home—just not the Knicks. There may be no better way to spice up a cross-town rivalry between the Knicks and Brooklyn Nets than if GM Sean Marks were to go out and add Young to be the face of Brooklyn's rebuild.

Still just 26 years old, Young averaged above 24 points per game for the sixth-straight season during the 2024-25 campaign, but his Atlanta Hawks have seen limited postseason success outside of a 2021 Eastern Conference Finals run. Chatter has begun emerging surrounding his future in Atlanta, and with the Nets possibly going star searching this summer, a Brooklyn-Young pairing could become reality.

Now, outside of compensation, there would be one area to address should this actually happen: Cam Thomas. Young and Thomas in the same backcourt may be the best offensive force in the entire league, but the defensive liabilities would be glaring. Could this be fixed with a versatile wing defender to guard the ball? Possibly, but having those two on the court at the same time allows Brooklyn's opposition to find mismatches quite easily.

Splitting up the two seems to be the correct move due to the defensive issues, regardless of how potent a scoring attack they'd create. Thomas, an impending restricted free agent, could be used to bring Young to the Nets through a sign-and-trade. If not, Marks could easily find another suitor for Thomas and continue to build up his haul of draft capital.

Entering his seventh year as a pro, Young is hungry for success beyond the regular season. Atlanta does have solid pieces in place, but hasn't made it out of the first round since the conference finals run. He won't be expected to wait around forever, and if the Nets whiff on Giannis Antetokounmpo, Young would be a great consolation prize.

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