New Blockbuster Draft Day Trade Proposal Sends Trae Young to Miami, Tyler Herro + No. 15 Pick to Atlanta

Would the Atlanta Hawks Consider Trading Trae Young To the Miami Heat?

Dec 22, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) drives to the basket past Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson (0) during the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to draft day.

Today marks the 1st round of the NBA Draft and there promises to be plenty of craziness tonight. Last night, Mikal Bridges was traded to the New York Knicks in a major blockbuster deal and more could be on the way tonight.

The Atlanta Hawks have been on the clock since the day of their shocking NBA Draft Lottery win, there has been endless speculation about what exactly the Hawks are going to do tomorrow. The three names most prominently mentioned have been French prospects Alex Sarr andZaccharie Risacher as well as UConn center Donovan Clingan. There has also been plenty of speculation over whether the Hawks could trade this pick, with the San Antonio Spurs being the team linked the most to trading up. While this draft has been knocked for not having any superstar prospect, there is still the potential for a wild night due to a lot of uncertainty. Right now most seem to think that Atlanta will stay at No. 1 and take Risacher.

But what if they don't and actually do pull off a draft night trade? What if it was a similar blockbuster to the one the Knicks and the Nets pulled off last night? Could the Hawks look to trade either Trae Young or Dejounte Murray tonight? I doubt it, but nothing is impossible in the NBA. One proposed trade from Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes from yesterday sends Young to the Miami Heat, a destination that has not been mentioned much for Young:

Miami Heat Acquire: Trae Young

Atlanta Hawks Acquire: Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Jaime Jaquez Jr., No. 15 pick in 2024 draft

"Rather than subtracting Jimmy Butler—an option that has seemed fairly likely since Pat Riley's pointed comments about the five-time All-NBA honoree—this deal sees the Heat make a major addition.

Young and his ball-dominant, defense-averse style might be a tough fit with #HeatCulture, but what if Miami's demanding environment is exactly what the high-scoring guard needs to unlock the next level in his game? Anointed as a franchise cornerstone since his arrival in Atlanta, Young might benefit from playing with an organization that values selflessness, attention to detail and grit over just about everything else.

Plus, Miami has been relatively weak on offense for most of the Butler-Adebayo era. Young, a truly dominant initiator, can lift a team's attack all by himself.

The Hawks might prefer a package that brings back multiple future first-rounders, and the Heat could include their 2030 selection if it comes to that. But Jaquez was one of this past season's top rookies, the No. 15 pick in the upcoming draft could net a future starter, and the Herro-Robinson duo would fill the shooting void left by Young."

I don't think this is a deal that I would make if I was the Hawks. Herro is not a bad player, but he has gotten played off the floor multiple times in the playoffs, as has Duncan Robinson. Jaquez had a nice rookie year and could be a promising player. The No. 15 pick would give the Hawks another young player, but not one that is likely to turn into a star.

The Atlanta Hawks have a lot of decisions they have to make over the course of the offseason. They hold the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, they are likely going to need to make a decision on Trae Young/Dejounte Murray backcourt, and other players such as Clint Capela, De'Andre Hunter, and Bogdan Bogdanovic could be available. The front office for Atlanta has a lot of important decisions to make and this team is likely going to look much different in the coming weeks.

While it is still unknown what exactly is going to happen, prominent NBA Insider Jake Fischer had this to say last night about Trae Young in a new column for Yahoo Sports:

"UConn center Donovan Clingan appears destined to be the next big man off the board, if he isn’t the top selection to Atlanta. Clingan worked out for the Hawks and told reporters he sees the potential for strong pick-and-roll chemistry with Atlanta’s guards. The Hawks, of course, are expected to engage rival teams on trade scenarios for both Trae Young and Dejounte Murray throughout this offseason. The Lakers, Pelicans and Spurs remain three destinations that would be appealing to Young, league sources told Yahoo Sports, and teams in the lottery are not discounting the possibility the Spurs could engineer a move up to the top slot, which could open the door for Atlanta possibly selecting Clingan at No. 4."

All three of these teams have been mentioned before as a possible destination for Young. The Lakers are looking for a third star to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis and Young would also be an anchor for their future. The Spurs are looking for a point guard to pair with Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio holds the next three Hawks picks for the future. The Pelicans are looking to shake up their roster and Young would be a great pairing with Zion Williamson.

Last month, Fischer wrote about Young and the Spurs and at the time, it did not seem that the Spurs were that interested in trading for Young:

"San Antonio personnel would be committing front-office malpractice by not contemplating the opportunity to pair a league assist leader and high-screen maestro like Young to pair with Wembanyama. The Spurs have so far approached building around Wembanyama as an intriguing experiment, where they will weigh all different kinds of variables around their Rookie of the Year. However, according to multiple league figures with knowledge of the situation, any Spurs plans of maneuvering to bring Young to San Antonio have been vastly overstated. The Spurs, sources said, have expressed little interest in obtaining Young to date."

Fischer went on to mention the Lakers as a possible destination for Young, which has been rumored for quite some time.

"Where Young will fall among the pecking order of available talent this offseason has been a predominant question league personnel are discussing throughout this combine week. The Lakers, for example, are one team that holds interest in Young after Los Angeles held trade discussions with Atlanta about Dejounte Murray back in February, sources said. The Lakers are now armed with three first-round picks to pursue a premier talent to team with James and Davis, but Los Angeles will have to consider other options before committing any type of capital for Young."

Could the Hawks trade Young instead of Murray? It is possible and I will maintain that if the Hawks decide to move Young, the Spurs should be the preffered destination. I don't think the Hawks should build around Murray, as their ceiling is just going to be limited. If Young wants to be traded and the Hawks could get their picks back from San Antonio, they should commit to a full rebuild around Jalen Johnson and this year's No. 1 pick. They can trade Murray, Clint Capela, De'Andre Hunter, and Bogdan Bogdanovic for more assets as well and really have a rebuild.

For now, the Hawks need to figure out what to do with the No. 1 pick. Then, even more important decisions await this franchise.