Trae Young trade talks are intensifying with ESPN's Shams Charania reporting that the Atlanta Hawks are working with their star guard to find a new landing spot.
The Washington Wizards were named as a potential trade partner (subscription required) by NBA insider Marc Stein, who adds that CJ McCollum's expiring contract could be part of the package to make the deal work financially.
One notable takeaway is that it remains unclear whether Atlanta would have to attach draft capital to offload Young, who is substantially more expensive than McCollum and has a $49 million player option next season.
“It remains to be seen whether the Hawks would also have to send the Wizards draft capital as a measure to convince them to absorb Young's contract or if Washington would be making a direct play for Young,” Stein writes.
Anfernee Simons' player archetype is losing value in the NBA
The fact that an All-Star like Young may now be considered a negative asset goes to show how quickly the NBA landscape has changed when it comes to these undersized, offensive-minded guards.
Especially small guards. At this point, if you're not in that Jalen Brunson-Donovan Mitchell-Tyrese Maxey tier or higher, a max contract for a guy who's like 6'3'' or shorter just isn't justifiable anymore. The Trae-Ja tier of guys is sort of in limbo. https://t.co/D05JCvlYjp
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) January 5, 2026
That also could apply to the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Anfernee Simons, who is a significant defensive liability. The market for this player archetype is dwindling. The Boston Celtics have already realized this about Simons when they explored options to flip him this past summer.
Teams are forced to be more selective under the new CBA, preserving their cap for players who make more of a two-way impact. Unless you have a Stephen Curry or Damian Lillard, it's tough to construct a contender if this type of guard is one of your highest-paid players.
Jrue Holiday isn't a perfect fit for Portland by any means, but credit the front office for recognizing where the league is trending. Moving on from Simons was ultimately in their best interest, and although they arguably could've even traded him sooner to maximize value, it was better late than never.
Portland proactively got ahead of Simons' looming expiring contract, which is a dilemma that Boston is now faced with. He has been playing much better basketball as of late, overcoming a slow start in Boston. But it's not necessarily his play that matters as much as his player archetype -- something that he can't change.
With the style of play in the modern NBA, stars like Cade Cunningham, Luka Doncic, and even Deni Avdija are emerging as these jumbo guards. They constantly exploit size mismatches, making it that much more difficult to have a sound defense if someone like Young or Simons is out there on the court.
The Blazers, looking to establish a defensive identity, no longer have that weak link. And Atlanta is next in line to adapt to the direction the league is trending in.
There's a wide margin between Young's actual value around the league and his perceived value by NBA fans, and that applies to just about every player of this archetype -- Simons included.