Dyson Daniels didn’t focus on the rumors, he still supports Tree Young

The Atlanta Hawks it will probably look different soon, like team and Trae Young work together to find a new home for the guard. Young hasn’t played much this season with the Hawks, but when he has, the team is just 2-8. It’s clear the team is going in a different direction for the future, and Young seems to understand that as well.

Outside of Young, the Hawks are still trying to compete and win games, but there’s no question that trade rumors and noise could be a distraction. After the recent shootout, Dyson Daniels and Kristaps Porzingis talked about the rumors surrounding Young and how the team is dealing with it.

“We can’t control what happens with the noise and the rumors,” Daniels said. “Obviously, it’s the front office and Tree’s job. All we can do is support Tree, he’s been the face of the organization since he got here. We want what’s best for Tree, but as a team, we have to continue to focus on what we can do to make us a better team.”

“All we can do is support Treo. He’s been the face of this organization since he got here.” @ATLHawks Dyson Daniels and Kristaps Porzingis on reports of a potential Trae Young trade. Trae is OUT tonight after being listed as questionable with a quad injury. @vsbtv pic.twitter.com/ArHk1RTVIM

— Luke Hetrick (@LHSportsTV) January 7, 2026

“We handle it well,” Porzingis said. “Of course it’s not the best thing in the world, but we just want to play better basketball regardless of the circumstances.”

“Obviously external things are what they are, but there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Without Young, the Hawks are 15-13 this season and are led by Jaylen Johnson, who has turned into an All-Star caliber player as he is currently averaging 23.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is also another step up player for the Hawks, and he is averaging 20.5 points per game.

The Tree Young era in Atlanta could soon be over

Entering the season, there were questions surrounding Young’s future with the Hawks, especially since he did not sign a contract extension with the team. From there, it looked like something he and the team would figure out at the end of the season, but after seeing how this season went, things moved faster than expected.

There haven’t been many teams showing interest in Young, but there is one it is his favorite destinationaccording to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

“Trey Young has the Washington Wizards as his preferred trade destination, sources tell ESPN. Atlanta is working to move Young, who has a $49 million player option in the offseason, which would make his contract expire; or opt out, leave and give the Hawks significant cap space,” Charania wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

For the Hawks, they will likely take on CJ McCollum’s expiring contract, which would leave them with flexibility in the offseason. As for the Wizards, they get a point guard who can build with the young players already on the team, and can make a decision on his player option at the end of the season.

All in all, the youth era appears to be over in Atlanta, and it may happen sooner rather than later.