6. Thaddeus Young
Since Thaddeus Young was traded to San Antonio in the sign and trade that sent DeMar DeRozan to Chicago, the 33-year-old lefty has been in trade rumors as a piece that could provide inside scoring and rebounding.
In a “Posted Up with Chris Haynes” Podcast episode, Young explained that at this point in his career he’s looking to play for a contender.
"“With this organization and this franchise [San Antonio], we’re not in a contending situation.” Young went on to say, “We’re gonna compete and we’re gonna try to contend and try to do things, but we’re in a rebuilding situation. With being in a rebuilding situation, that’s not ideal for a guy that just came off a really good season, going into his 15th season to going to another rebuild.” “I don’t mind playing through rebuilds and stuff like that, but the one thing about it is I’m not getting any younger. I’m getting older and at some point, I want to start contending for championships. I haven’t been in any situation where I’ve been able to contend for a championship. I want that feeling. I want that aspect of being able to go out there and being able to compete for a championship every single night. That’s the part that I really want to get to.”"
Young is currently seeing a career-low usage rate as he’s only averaging 14 minutes per game, which is has to be frustrating for a player that’s been a starter for the most part of his time in the NBA.
One team that has been rumored to have interest in Young is the Phoenix Suns. The Suns lost Dario Saric to a season-ending knee injury earlier this season, so they may look to add Young in hopes of providing what they are missing from Saric.
If anything, Young is a player to keep an eye on as the trade deadline gets closer.