FRIDAY, 10:27am: Young said today that he did not ask the Sixers to trade him, according to Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter). However, he acknowledged that he knows his name has come up in rumors and confirmed that his agent has been in contact with GM Sam Hinkie, tweets Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
THURSDAY, 4:27pm: Teammates Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes may have surfaced in more trade rumors as of late, but Thaddeus Young has asked the 76ers to deal him, a source tells Jake Fischer of Liberty Ballers. According to Fischer, Young and agent Jim Tanner submitted a formal trade request to the Sixers “weeks ago.”
“Thad is ready to leave Philly,” the source said. “He isn’t with the whole tanking thing…. He just wants them to do the trade if they are. He hates waiting. [Playing for a contender] would be great because the Sixers definitely aren’t making the playoffs this year.”
Young, 25, is averaging a career-high 15.8 PPG so far this season, though his efficiency numbers (.487 FG%, 16.0 PER) aren’t quite where they’ve been over the previous three seasons (.528 FG%, 18.4 PER). The 6’8″ forward made comments yesterday suggesting that he was growing a little frustrated with the inexperience on the Sixers’ roster.
Turner, Hawes, and Young have all been mentioned in trade rumors throughout the season due to their presence as the only real productive veterans on a rebuilding Sixers squad. Turner and Hawes are on expiring contracts, which might make them easier to move, while Young has multiple guaranteed seasons and a player option left on his deal, which runs through 2016. All three players are being “heavily shopped” by Philadelphia, according to a report from ESPN.com’s Chad Ford earlier this week.
There was speculation that Young could be a target for the Rockets in talks involving Omer Asik, but even though the Sixers were linked to Asik, Houston was said to be focusing on Hawes rather than Young.
Thank you please do so! I long thought Thad Young should be traded. He’s a undersize PF who moves all go left. He doesn’t well from outside he needs to develop a shot to go to his true position as a SF.