Hawks Get No. 1 Pick; Magic Trade Coming?

The Orlando Magic should keep an eye on what the Atlanta Hawks are doing after getting the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Jan 7, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray (5) drives to the basket / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

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

Despite having three percent odds to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Hawks won the lottery. Now, they'll have multiple avenues for this offseason.

Do they stand pat and allow whoever they take with the No. 1 overall pick to play alongside guards Dejounte Murray and Trae Young? Does Atlanta shop the pick for an established player? Or will lading the No. 1 overall pick be what kickstarts the Hawks' rebuild and they put one or both of Murray and Young on the trade block?

If Atlanta decides to tear it down, the Orlando Magic should be among the teams showing interest 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 left on the roster with experience starting alongside, Suggs, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero will be Anthony Black.

Even if Orlando opts to keep one or both of Fultz and Harris, improving and getting more consistency out of the guard position alongside Suggs should be among its top priorities this offseason. Both Murray and Young would provide clear upgrades on offense, though, 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 along with 6.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game across 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 has averaged 1.4 steals per game in his career.

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

Regardless of which one is potentially available, both Murray and Young would vastly improve the Magic's offense in the backcourt. Suggs led Orlando's guards with 12.6 points per game and he led the team in 3-pointers made per game (2) on a team-high 5.1 attempts per game and he was second in 3-point percentage (39.7).

If Orlando is going to improve on an already strong 2023-24 season, it is going to need more out of the guard who starts next to Suggs. Even if the third-year guard vastly improves again next season, getting similar production out of the other guard position could be what holds the Magic back from being a true contender.

When you look at the teams left in the playoffs, each one has at least one dynamic guard that can lead or facilitate the offense. With Banchero and Wagner, Orlando doesn't need a guard to carry the offense, but one who can ease the pressure on them and add punch to the 24th-ranked scoring team in the NBA could be what they need to elevate it from a playoff team to a contender.

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

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