Blockbuster new trade proposal sends Trae Young to Orlando for huge players + picks package

The Atlanta Hawks are about to have an interesting few weeks ahead of them.

They hold the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft on June 26 and this is the first big decision they have to make regarding their roster. Will the Hawks move Trae Young or Dejounte Murray? Could other players such as Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter be on the move? Hawks general manager Landry Fields has a lot of decisions to make.

I’m still convinced the Hawks will keep Young, because I think they’re a better team with him and he gives them a higher ceiling than Murray (who is a very good player). Things could change of course, but I think the Hawks will end up keeping Young and trying to reorganize this roster around him. If they don’t, I think one team that would be interested in trying to acquire him would be the Orlando Magic, who need to improve on the offensive end of the court. In a trade proposal from Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, Young is heading to Orlando for a big deal:

The trade: Trae Young to the Orlando Magic for Cole Anthony, Jonathan Isaac, Jett Howard, the No. 18 pick and a 2025 first-round pick (top-five protected, via DEN)

“The Hawks appear determined to break down their backcourt, and many believe their “preference” would be to part ways with Young rather than Dejounte Murray, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. Although he is 25 and A three-time All-Star, Young could be difficult to move given his defensive limitations and exorbitant salary (three years, $138 million remaining).

The Magic, however, are in desperate need of offense, potentially equipped with enough defensive talent to take on a sieve like Young and have the flexibility to take that financial hit. And if they could bolster their 22nd-ranked offense without losing any critical pieces – Anthony is a sparkplug, Isaac is unreliable, Howard barely played as a rookie and the picks aren’t great – it could be an offer they cannot make. refuse.

The Hawks, meanwhile, would reduce their payroll, add two plug-and-play contributors (three if Howard finds his way into the rotation) and gain more trade chips to throw around if the right player becomes available.

I don’t like this trade for the Hawks. I like Isaac as a player and you could argue he is one of the best defenders in the NBA, but he struggles to stay healthy and isn’t playing major minutes. If he could start playing more minutes, he would fit in well with the team. Anthony would be a good bench player, Howard didn’t pan out in Orlando’s rotation as a rookie, and Denver’s pick won’t be a high pick. Atlanta currently doesn’t have a 2025 pick, but the Nuggets will be one of the best teams in the NBA next year, meaning the pick will be near the end of the first round.

For one of the best offensive players in the NBA, that’s simply not enough of a return. Orlando might be interested in Young, but they should offer a better trade package than that. I still don’t think Young will be moved this offseason and that Atlanta will try to build a better team around him.