Philadelphia 76ers forward Thaddeus Young reportedly requested to be traded prior to being linked to a trade for Houston Rockets center Omer Asik. Young asked to be dealt because of his unhappiness with Philadelphia's plan to tank for a better 2014 draft pick, according to LibertyBallers.com.
Young had been mentioned as a possible component in a deal for Asik. Before the trade talks ended on Thursday, however, Young had already sought a trade.
"Source: Weeks before his name came up in Omer Asik trade talks, Thaddeus Young submitted a formal trade request to the (Sixers) weeks ago," Jake Fischer of LibertyBallers tweeted on Thursday.
Young's request stemmed from his unwillingness to throw the season away just for better odds at getting a high lottery pick in the upcoming draft, according to a source close to the 25-year-old.
"Thad is ready to leave Philly," the source told LibertyBallers. "He isn't with the whole tanking thing."
Philadelphia (7-19) sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference after losing seven straight games. Young became excited at the prospect of playing for a championship-contending team when his name was mentioned during the Asik trade talks earlier this week, the source said.
"Playing for the Sixers is wasting a year of Thad's career," the source added.
Young, the 12th pick of the 2007 NBA draft, is averaging a career-high 15.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game this season. He's a career 51.1 percent shooter from the field and a 33.4 percent shooter from beyond the arc.
He's owed $8.85 million this season and $9.41 million next season; the final year of his contract, which expires in July 2016, is a player option worth $9.97 million.
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