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NBA Trade Rumors: Top 3 landing spots for veteran forward Thaddeus Young

Thaddeus Young #21 dribbles against the Washington Wizards
Thaddeus Young #21 dribbles against the Washington Wizards

Thaddeus Young is the subject of one of the latest NBA trade rumors, with the Phoenix Suns reportedly among the favorites to land the veteran forward.

This report comes from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, who said there are other teams interested in the player’s services.

“The Suns are among the contenders who have pursued Spurs forward Thaddeus Young, sources said,” Charania wrote. “San Antonio acquired Young in a sign-and-trade — along with a first-round pick and two second-round picks — and now are expected to receive strong interest in the veteran forward from competitive teams.”

NBA Trade Rumors: Thaddeus Young’s value to a team

Last season, Thaddeus Young averaged 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He shot a career-high 55.9 percent from the field while playing 24.3 minutes.

As one of the top role players in the league, the 33-year-old was awarded the 2020-21 NBA Hustle Award after he “led all players in charges drawn and offensive loose balls recovered on a per-minute basis.”

Any NBA team, especially title contenders, would love to have Thaddeus Young.

However, the San Antonio Spurs are probably going to ask for a package that will help them in the present as well as the future. Young was acquired from the Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal centered around DeMar DeRozan earlier this month. Young will make $14.19 million next season in the final year of his contract.

With the Spurs having 17 players with guaranteed contracts on their roster, it’s more than likely that Young will be traded before the season begins.

With that in mind, which teams should be in line to try and pry away Thaddeus Young from the San Antonio Spurs?

3. Memphis Grizzlies

Thaddeus Young #21 warms up before a game
Thaddeus Young #21 warms up before a game

The Memphis Grizzlies are full to the brim with players on guaranteed contracts, but they may have players and other assets that the San Antonio Spurs are looking for.

Though the Grizzlies were in the playoffs last season, they only did so after surviving the play-in tournament. They can’t afford to do that year after year and expect to go deep into the postseason.

Thaddeus Young would provide some stability to the frontcourt for the Grizzlies, who have shaken up their roster in a bid to be more competitive beyond the regular season. However, their roster is still in flux, and teams are still waiting to see what they’re going to do heading into training camp.

If they can offer a package that will make the Spurs happy in exchange for Thaddeus Young, it would help them climb up the defensive rating ladder, where they were already seventh-best last season (110.5).

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