Atlanta Hawks get first pick; Orlando Magic Trade Coming?

ORLANDO — The Atlanta Hawks won the lottery, literally and figuratively, on Sunday.

Despite having a three percent chance of landing the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Hawks won the lottery. Now, they will have several possibilities this offseason.

Do they hold out and allow whoever they select with the No. 1 overall pick to play alongside guards Dejounte Murray and Trae Young? Is Atlanta shopping for an established player’s pick? Or will being the top overall pick be what jump-starts the Hawks’ rebuild and they put one or both Murray and Young on the trading block?

If Atlanta decides to scrap him, the Orlando Magic should be among the teams interested in trading for one of the two guards.

Orlando faces a lot of uncertainty in its backcourt. Gary Harris and Markelle Fultz will be free agents this offseason, while Cole Anthony has thrived as the team’s sixth man. If Fultz and Harris go elsewhere, the only player remaining on the roster with experience alongside Suggs, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero will be Anthony Black.

Even if Orlando opts to retain one or both of Fultz and Harris, improving and getting more consistency at the guard position alongside Suggs should be one of its top priorities this offseason. Both Murray and Young would offer clear upgrades on offense, however, the latter would be a better fit for a team that was fourth in points allowed per game (108.4) and second in defensive rating (111.3) this season.

Murray averaged a career-high 22.5 points, 6.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game in 78 games this season. He also shot 36.4 percent on his 3-point attempts, his best since the 2019-20 season.

The 6-5 guard has also been a reliable defender, making the All-Defense team in 2017-18 and leading the league in steals in 2021-22. Murray averaged 1.4 steals per game during his career.

Young is the more dynamic offensive player, as the three-time All-Star averaged 25.7 points, a career-high 10.8 assists per game and shot 37.3% from 3 on 8.7 attempts per game in 54 games this season. He also averaged a career-high 1.3 steals per game, however, Young isn’t exactly known for his defensive prowess.

Whoever is potentially available, Murray and Young would significantly improve the Magic’s offense in the backcourt. Suggs led Orlando’s guards with 12.6 points per game and he led the team with 3 points scored per game (2) on a team-high 5.1 attempts per game and he was second with a 3-point percentage (39.7).

If Orlando wants to improve on an already strong 2023-24 season, it will need more from the guard starting next to Suggs. Even if the third-year guard still improves significantly next season, getting similar production from the other guard position could be what keeps the Magic from being a true contender.

When looking at the remaining playoff teams, each has at least one dynamic guard who can lead or facilitate the offense. With Banchero and Wagner, Orlando doesn’t need a guard to carry the offense, but one who can take the pressure off them and add some punch to the NBA’s 24th-ranked team might be what they need to get her out of the playoffs. team to a competitor.

Young, and particularly Murray, could be what Orlando needs, and if Atlanta makes one or both of them available, he should be among the teams making a strong offer as it begins to work to maximize its window to become a championship contender.

Related Orlando Magic Stories