New B/R Trade Proposal Sees Atlanta and New Orleans Swap Star Players In Big Offseason Move

Could the Atlanta Hawks Trade Trae Young This Offseason

Nov 4, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) brings the ball up court around New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) and forward Herbert Jones (5) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans are two teams that have been linked together multiple times throughout the past few months and it is not hard to see why. The Pelicans are in search of a point guard to help take their team to the next level, while the Hawks have two guards that don't fit together and are looking to trade one of them. It seems highly likely that the Hawks are going to trade either Trae Young or Dejounte Murray this offseason and it also is starting to feel like the Pelicans and Brandon Ingram are going to part ways this offseason as well.

It has been suggested that the Hawks and Pelicans could do an Ingram for Murray swap, but what about a Young for Ingram swap? Bleacher Report Analyst Zach Buckley proposed a swap of the two star players in a recent proposal:

The trade: Trae Young to the New Orleans Pelicans for Brandon Ingram

"Young's open-market value feels impossible to pin down. He's a three-time All-Star with some of the gaudiest stat lines around, but he's also a glaring defensive liability and one of the more ball-dominant players in this league.

Rather than attempting to calculate his trade value in terms of picks, prospects and financial relief, Atlanta could always simplify the process by taking back a similarly polarizing player.

Ingram is a 26-year-old with an All-Star nod and a Most Improved Player award on his resume. He's on a five-year run of averaging at least 20 points and four assists per game, a feat matched by only a dozen other players. He also hasn't cleared 70 games since his rookie season, has lost a not-insignificant amount of scoring and three-point volume and needs a new contract between now and next summer.

The Pelicans, who could use a new playmaker, are reportedly planning to shop Ingram around. A challenge trade between these teams could be wildly entertaining if either unlocked something in one of these players that the other never could."

I don't think this is a trade that the Hawks need to consider. I think that Ingram and Young would be a good fit together, but I don't think Ingram alone is enough for a player like Young in a trade. Ingram is coming off of a down season in New Orleans, plus he has had a hard time staying healthy throughout his career. New Orleans would need to throw in other assets if they wanted to get Young in a deal.

I still think that at the end of the day, Young is going to remain in Atlanta and Murray will be traded. The Hawks have a much higher ceiling with Young as their centerpiece and now that they have the No. 1 pick, they can work on putting a better team around him than they have up to this point. Ingram would be a solid fit around Young and that is why a Murray for Ingram swap makes more sense. It has also been reported that New Orleans might prefer Murray to Young.

Christian Clark at Nola.com suggested over the weekend that the Pelicans might have more interest in Murray than they would in Young.

"The Pelicans had contact with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks before the trade deadline in February. Expect those talks to resume this summer. The Cavaliers and Hawks have three All-Star guards between them in Darius Garland, Dejounte Murray and Trae Young who could be available."

"If the Pelicans reengaged the Hawks, they could look to pry away Murray or Young. Even though Young is the more talented player, the Pelicans seem to hold more interest in Murray, league sources said. The 6-5 Murray is not as much of a defensive liability as the 6-1 Young can be. He is also on a cheaper contract; Murray will make $25.5 million next season, while Young is owed $43 million."

Clark also noted the relationship between Zion Williamson and Young:

"One of the interesting subplots in all of this: In 2019, the Hawks were one of the teams Williamson’s camp hoped would get the No. 1 pick. Williamson even tapped the Hawks’ logo just before the results of the 2019 draft lottery were announced.

All signs suggested that Williamson and Young had mutual interest in playing with each other previously. Last month, Rayford Young, who is Trae’s father, indicated on social media that that still might be the case."

You can read the full piece here.

Former Hawks All-Star point guard Jeff Teague said on an episode of his podcast, the Club 520 Podcast, that he thinks a trade involving Murray and Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is going to happen:

"I say they are going to trade Dejounte Murray for Brandon Ingram. I think they are going to do that straight up"

No matter who Atlanta keeps as their point guard, this is a team that needs size at the forward/wing position, as well as someone who could double as a playmaker and be a two-way threat. While Ingram is not as strong of a defender as he is an offensive player, he would fit a lot of needs for the Hawks.

At 6'8 190 LBS, Ingram checks off the size that the Hawks need and he checks off the playmaking box as well. Whether he has the ball in his hands or not, Ingram can either get his own shot or he can set others up. He has averaged close to six assists per game for the past three seasons and has been a good shot-creator for the Pelican's offense. He had a tough offensive series vs the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs this season, but being with either Young or Murray would open up a lot for him.

He is not a perfect fit though on Atlanta, especially from a defensive perspective. If he were to be paired with Young, he would add to the defensive concerns of the team, but they could be overcome because while he is not a great defender, he is not one of the worst in the league and he has size at least. The other thing would be his three-point shooting, as it has fluctuated a bit over the years. He shot 35.5% from three this year, down from 39% last year. The year before that, he shot 32%. There is inconsistency with his three-point shooting.

Ingram is also going into the last year of his contract and will need a new one after next season. Obviously, if the Hawks trade for him, they will be giving him a new contract, but it would also tie him and whoever the point guard is on the team together. Also consider that Jalen Johnson is going to be extension-eligible this offseason, meaning Atlanta could have a lot of money tied up in either Young/Murray, Ingram, the No. 1 pick (unless it is traded), and Johnson. This would be the core of the Hawks if they made this trade and they would need to hope that it could bring them more success than they have had recently in the postseason.

We will have to see what both teams intend to do this summer, but both Atlanta and New Orleans could look to reshape their rosters. They also make natural trade partners as well.

Ingram would bring a lot of upside to the Hawks and it does seem like New Orleans might be willing to move him.  Let's see what happens this summer.