B/R offers best and worst fits for Trae Young in potential trade

Atlanta tried to make a big move two years ago by trading for Dejounte Murray, but it didn’t go the way they had hoped. The record when the two guards play together is poor, as are the Hawks’ overall numbers. It seems likely that one of Murray or Trae Young will be parted, but which of the two will be traded still appears to be up for debate.

Before delving into this, it’s worth noting that the Hawks did not make Young available for trade and Young did not request to be traded. This is just speculation and I still think Young will stay in Atlanta once all is said and done this summer. It appears Atlanta is headed toward breaking up its backcourt consisting of Young and Dejounte Murray, but that could mean Murray is the one who gets traded. Atlanta was shopping Murray this season.

One potential destination for Young is the San Antonio Spurs, a team that would benefit from pairing Young with budding superstar Victor Wembanyama. There might be some truth to the rumors on both sides, as the Spurs hold the Hawks’ draft capital for the future due to the Murray trade from two years ago. Could the Hawks send their star point guard to San Antonio in an effort to recoup their draft picks? This seems at least possible.

Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report gave the best and worst fits for Young in a potential deal and he named the Spurs as the best possible fit for Young:

“Since Young landed in Atlanta in 2018, the Hawks have yet to rank higher than 18th in defensive efficiency. There’s a legitimate question as to whether it’s possible to even- what an average defense with him at the helm, which could explain why teams would prefer Murray as a trade target..

If anyone can make defensive end work with Young, it might just be the 7’4″ alien who just electrified Alamo City as a rookie. The unique blend of size, length, mobility and Victor Wembanyama’s instincts should make him an annual Defensive Player of the Year candidate and a potentially perfect on-court partner for Young.

Wembanyama, meanwhile, would benefit immensely from playing alongside an offensive force like Young, who is one of only two players to hold career averages north of 25 points and nine assists. The Spurs were legitimately competitive when Wembanyama played with Tre Jones (plus-4.3 net rating), who looks like the definition of an average point guard. Trade Young, a three-time All-Star with one of the sharpest offensive skill sets in the Association, and San Antonio could be in the playoffs as soon as next season.

What about the worst fit for Young? That would be the Detroit Pistons.

“The Pistons, fresh off their fifth straight losing record (this one with a franchise-worst .171 winning percentage), are apparently too eager to escape the bottom of the standings. They’ve been mentioned as a “wild card” suitor for Young, with several executives telling B/R’s Eric Pincus that they “have to do something” this summer.

That something shouldn’t involve bringing Young to the Motor City. He couldn’t solve their talent shortages. If anything, the sheer number of offensive touches he would command could stall the development of franchise centerpiece Cade Cunningham (and, if he wasn’t somehow involved in the trade , Jaden Ivey too).

The Pistons, who are clearly far from contention, don’t have the personnel to mask Young’s limitations or improve his strengths. Their defense is already terrible (25th in efficiency) and they don’t have enough shooting (26th in true shooting percentage) to distract defensive attention from Young.

I would agree on both points. I’m still confident Atlanta will keep Young unless he asks to be traded, but the Spurs are the team that makes the most sense for both sides, much more so than a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers . If the Spurs are truly interested in Young and would give Atlanta their entire pick back, that could cause the Hawks to think about a full rebuild instead of trying to continue building around Dejounte Murray.

This summer has the potential to be one of the craziest NBA offseasons in recent memory. Many teams could rebuild their roster and Atlanta could be one of them.