NBA Trade Idea: Hawks' Trae Young to Magic?
It's a busy weekend for the Orlando Magic. Paolo Banchero is featured in the All-Star Game, Skills Challenge, and Rising Stars Game, and Mac McClung will defend his title in the Dunk Contest.
With a core of Franz Wagner, Banchero, Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony, and Jonathan Isaac led by coach Jamahl Mosley, it appears that the Magic are a team on the rise and will be expected to run the Eastern Conference in the coming seasons.
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Despite the bright future, a proposed trade by Bleacher Report could make the Magic title threats as soon as next season.
The deal would see Orlando send Anthony, Suggs, two future first-round picks, and a swap to the Atlanta Hawks for three-time All-Star Trae Young. Young is one of the best passers in the league and is a consistent scoring threat, especially from deep. There is no doubt that the move would instantly make the Magic better.
Despite the immediate improvement, the Magic would be incredibly foolish to make a deal for Young. For starters, Wagner will soon be joining Banchero as an All-Star, and the two are elite on both ends of the court. Dominating scorers, and adding a top-tier facilitator would not be a bad idea, but by shipping away Suggs and Anthony for a player with a reputation as a defensive liability, the Magic would have to start from scratch.
Orlando has largely abandoned the three-point shot this season and is in the bottom five in both attempts and percentage. Adding Young would boost those numbers, but it would not result in long-term success.
Simply put, the hard-nosed playstyle Orlando has adopted works with their current roster, and the Magic should be looking to build around their stars who embody that mentality, instead of looking to add a superstar.
The only thing holding the Magic back this year is a lack of experience and youth. Moving forward, a starting lineup of Suggs, Anthony, Banchero, Wagner, and Isaac would be stifling on both ends of the court. Young doesn't fit with the building processes, and his talents as a scorer would be wasted on a team that has found success by playing defense.
Orlando is building for long-term success with a cast of home-grown players, and renting a superstar (even one under contract through 2026-27) will not result in lasting winning.
