Blockbuster new trade proposal sends Trae Young to Orlando for three players + three first-round picks

The 2024 NBA Draft is less than a month away and it will be the next big event on this NBA offseason calendar. Two teams to watch this offseason are the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic but for different reasons. Atlanta is trying to reshape its roster, which means they are likely to split their backcourt consisting of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, hold the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft and have other players on the roster who could be traded. . Orlando, meanwhile, is looking to add to its roster, which surprised many people by getting the NO. 5th seed and pushing the Cavaliers to seven games in the first round. They have two young stars in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner and they have a lot of draft picks to trade, as well as a lot of cap space to use. The Magic appear to have a bright future if they make the right decisions.

I think these two teams are natural trade partners, just like the Hawks and Pelicans. Orlando needs a point guard to run the offense, while the Hawks need better defensive guards, forwards and/or better draft picks. In a monster trade proposal from Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey, these two strike a huge deal:

Trae Young for Cole Anthony, Anthony Black, Jett Howard, a 2025 first-round pick (via Denver), a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 first-round pick swap

“The Orlando Magic already have one of the brightest futures in the league. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are both future stars, and the Magic had the league’s No. 2 defense behind them..

However, there are real offensive concerns with this group. And while it’s cool to boast two forwards who can create for themselves and others, having a true high-end point guard to shoulder some of that responsibility could push Orlando to the next level.

Despite the constant criticism regarding Trae Young’s ball dominance and lack of defense, he remains one of the most consistent and dynamic offensive powerhouses in the league. And the easy looks he would create would do wonders for Banchero (who was one of the least efficient scorers in the league) and Wagner.

Balancing shot attempts can take some time. On this line, Young could be the third option some nights, which would take some getting used to. But the upside, especially when you consider the defense of Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac and Wendell Carter Jr., is huge.h.

For the Atlanta Hawks, it’s certainly not the kind of win-now trade Dejounte Murray would probably want (it might make sense to move him too), but a core with Murray, Bogdan Bogdanović, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu and the new talent in this deal probably wouldn’t put them much further out of contention than they currently are.

And this timeline gives them more financial flexibility and choices for the future. »

In terms of trade packages, this isn’t quite what I would want in a trade for an All-NBA caliber point guard. If I were the Hawks, I would make sure Jalen Suggs or Jonathan Isaac were involved in the deal. The Hawks need to improve their defense, even if they end up trading Young, Anthony Black is the only guy who could do it and he is still an unproven player. Cole Anthony would be a good addition off the bench, but Jett Howard isn’t a player I’m very high on and he hasn’t shown he can play in the NBA yet. While the Hawks don’t have any picks moving forward due to the Dejounte Murray trade two summers ago, those picks will be nothing more than late first-round picks. Denver will still be a competitor for Nikola Jokic next season and if Orlando has a trio of Young, Banchero and Wagner, they should be among the top four teams in the Eastern Conference in the years to come.

I still think Atlanta will choose to keep Young, but that’s just speculation. This team will likely look a lot different when the season begins and this is a crucial offseason for the future of the Atlanta Hawks.