Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks battles Pelle Larsson #9 of the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena on December 26, 2025 in Atlanta.
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Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks battles Pelle Larsson #9 of the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena on December 26, 2025 in Atlanta.
It has become a tradition really, for the Miami Heat to gain a mention any time a major NBA star comes onto the market. There’s good reason: The Heat have young players, they have draft capital and they have contracts that can be matched up in a trade to make the numbers work. Of course, the franchise also has Pat Riley and a longstanding reputation for taking high-risk gambles, even if those gambles have not been working out as frequently as they once did.
So it should come as no surprise that, as word of a trade that would send Hawks star scorer Trae Young out of Atlanta hit the NBA hard on Monday night, the heat immediately caught some attention. It was the Wizards, basically in a salary dump, who were the team mentioned as actively working on a potential deal for Young, but the Heat could well be looming in the background, especially if they decide to make a more credible offer for Young.
Young is a four-time All-Star who has averaged 25.2 points in his career, but is the kind of high-volume (18.4 shots per game), low-efficiency (43.2% shooting) scorer that has gone out of favor in the modern NBA.
Still, at the futures gambling site Kalshi, after the Wizards (at 45%) the Heat are listed as the No. 2 favorite to trade for Young, at 27%..
Trae Young Trade Looking Imminent
While Young has been floated as a trade candidate for much of the past year, the Miami Heat’s interest may have waned–though there’s no doubt Miami would like a high-scoring guard on the roster, especially with questions surrounding Tyler Herro and his interest in playing for the Heat going forward.
The Hawks’ determination to trade Young has apparently hit its peak, as the team has played well in general, but has struggled to get its chemistry right as Young has returned from a persistent knee injury.
ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote on Twitter/X: “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.”
Longtime NBA writer Marc Stein wrote on his Substack that Washington has gotten involved with a Young deal:
“The Washington Wizards have emerged as a legitimate trade destination for Atlanta’s Trae Young, The Stein Line has learned. The teams, according to league sources, have been discussing a trade construction centered around CJ McCollum’s expiring contract. ‘There have definitely been conversations today,’ said one source briefed on the talks.”
Miami Heat Could Improve on Offer for Trae Young
What’s interesting about a potential Young-to-Wizards deal is that it would amount to a salary dump, with Washington taking on the remainder of Young’s contract. He has $46 million for this season, and a $49 million player option that he will likely need to pick up, given the lack of interest in him on the market.
Could the Heat swoop in and sweeten the pot on Young? That’s what the betting markets are saying. The Heat could acquire Young by including Terry Rozier’s contract–which is in limbo because of the gambling charges against him–and maybe this year’s first-round pick, Kasparas Jakucionis plus salary filler.
That may be why the information on the Wizards-Heat talks leaked so widely on Monday. The Hawks know they’re going to give up Young for pennies on the dollar, and they’re likely seeking a late boost in his value. The Heat need a scoring boost. It’s a longshot, but that could be Young.