New Blockbuster Trade Proposal Sends Trae Young To Orlando For Three Players + Three First-Round Picks

Would the Atlanta Hawks trade Trae Young to the Orlando Magic?

Jan 7, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) drives to the basket as Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) defends during the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 NBA Draft is less than a month away and that will be the next big event in this NBA Offseason Calendar. Two teams to watch this offseason are the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic but for different reasons. Atlanta is trying to reshape its roster, which means that they are likely to break up their backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, they hold the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, and there are other players on the roster that could be traded. Orlando on the other hand is looking to add to its roster, which surprised a lot of people by getting the NO. 5 seed and pushing the Cavaliers to seven games in the first round. They have two young stars in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner and they have loads of draft picks to trade, as well as plenty of cap space to use. The Magic look like they have a bright future if they make the right moves.

I think these two teams make natural trade partners, much like the Hawks and the Pelicans. Orlando needs a point guard to run the offense, while the Hawks need better defensive guards, forwards, and/or draft picks. In a monster trade proposal from Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey, these two make a huge deal:

Trae Young for Cole Anthony, Anthony Black, Jett Howard, a 2025 first-round pick (via Denver), a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 first-round pick swap

"The Orlando Magic already have one of the league's brightest futures. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are both future stars, and the Magic had the league's No. 2 defense behind them.

However, there are real offensive concerns with this group. And though it's cool to boast two forwards who can create for themselves and others, having a real, high-end point guard to take some of that responsibility from them could push Orlando to the next level.

Despite the steady criticism over Trae Young's ball-dominance and lack of defense, he's still one of the league's most consistent and dynamic offensive engines. And the easy looks he'd create would do wonders for Banchero (who was one of the league's least efficient scorers) and Wagner.

Balancing the shot attempts might take some time. In that trio, Young could be the third option on some nights, which would take some getting used to. But the upside there, especially in concert with the defense of Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac and Wendell Carter Jr., is high.

For the Atlanta Hawks, this certainly isn't the kind of win-now trade Dejounte Murray would probably want (it might make sense to move him too), but a core with Murray, Bogdan Bogdanović, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu and the incoming talent in this deal probably wouldn't have them much further from contention than they are right now.

And this timeline gives them more financial flexibility and picks going forward."

In terms of trade packages, this is not quite what I would want back in a trade for an All-NBA caliber point guard. If I was the Hawks, I would make sure that either Jalen Suggs or Jonathan Isaac was in the deal. The Hawks need to improve their defense, even if they end up trading Young, Anthony Black is the only guy who might do that and he is still an unproven player. Cole Anthony would be a nice addition off the bench, but Jett Howard is not a player that I am very high on and he has not shown he can play in the NBA yet. While the Hawks don't have picks in the future due to the Dejounte Murray trade from two summers ago, these picks are not going to be anything more than late first-round picks. Denver is still going to be a contender with Nikola Jokic next season and if Orlando has a trio of Young, Banchero, and Wagner, they should be a top-four team in the Eastern Conference for years to come.

I still think that Atlanta is going to opt to keep Young, but that is just speculation. This team is likely going to look much different when the season tips off though and this is a pivotal offseason for the future of the Atlanta Hawks