Hawks crazy offseason situation could have more impact on Spurs

The Trae Young saga that's occurred throughout this season has been one that's kept Spurs fans anxiously waiting every day for new scoops of information and hints about the potential pairing between Young and San Antonio. The recent draft lottery may have added the most interesting twist to the situation.

San Antonio lucked out in the lottery, securing the eighth and fourth picks. They can use these picks to add two young players to this young roster or to acquire their point guard of the future in a trade.

Trae Young has been flirting with the Spurs since February, and it all began when his camp reportedly expressed an openness to the idea for the two-time All-Star to be paired with the generational talent Victor Wembanyama. The two were inseparable during All-Star weekend, and at the trade deadline, it was reported that the teams discussed a deal for the 25-year-old guard.

This timeline of events is the gift that keeps on giving, and after the Hawks won the top pick in this year's draft, it seemed like the story may have ended. But in fact, it may have just gotten hotter than it ever has. After landing the first pick, it could be what kicks off the rebuild in Georgia.

The Hawks failed to reach the postseason this year. Since their last Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2021, Atlanta has failed to win a playoff series and has yet to have the roster to find consistent regular or postseason success.

Trae Young has stated he's ready to win now, but he's openly wondered if that would be in Atlanta, saying, "But it's year six; who knows?"

Woj says it's a "very real" possibility that Young is made available for trade. The Hawks haven't developed a winning identity with Young at the helm, and winning the draft lottery might send them into rebuild mode. But Ice Trae no longer wants to wait to become a competitive team.

The former All-NBA guard is pushing for the front office to create a competitive roster around him, or his tenure in Atlanta may end. It may be ending sooner than you think because the Hawks have no spending money and no draft assets to potentially make the sort of trade that would put them into contention.

In the Dejounte Murray trade in the summer of 2022, Atlanta gave up the rights to its first-round picks from 2025 to 2027. If the Hawks are forced to rebuild, they have no draft capital, and their only viable option would be to trade their star point guard to acquire their picks back and embrace the rebuild.

After landing two lottery picks, the package the Spurs can offer becomes even more intriguing. It has to have Hawks general manager Landry Fields licking his chops and thinking about the assets he could acquire to speed up the potential rebuild. Some quality guards in this class, such as Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard, Nikola Topic, and Stephon Castle, could replace Young if the Hawks decide to pull the trigger.

For now, it's just a waiting game. Atlanta can pair Young with Alexandre Sarr, which could form an exciting tandem. However, there's plenty of work to be done to satisfy Young's requests, and it's a situation every fan of the Silver and Black needs to keep their eyes on because it could end up panning out in the Spurs' favor.