New Blockbuster Trade Proposal Sends Trae Young to Orlando for Huge Players + Picks Package

Will the Hawks trade Trae Young this offseason?

Jan 17, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) attempts to protect the ball against Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze (35) and Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-USA TODAY Sports / Jordan Godfree-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Hawks are about to have an interesting few weeks ahead of them.

They hold the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft on June 26th and that is the first big decision they have to make about their roster. Will the Hawks move Trae Young or Dejounte Murray? Could other players such as Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and De'Andre Hunter be on the move? Hawks general manager Landry Fields has a lot of decisions to make.

I am still of the belief that the Hawks are going to keep Young, as I think they are a better team with him and that he gives them a higher ceiling than Murray (who is a really good player). Things could change of course, but I think the Hawks will end up keeping Young and trying to retool this roster around him. If they don't though, I think one team that would be interested in trying to acquire him would be the Orlando Magic, who need to get better on the offensive end of the floor. In a trade proposal from Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley, Young heads to Orlando in a big deal:

The trade: Trae Young to the Orlando Magic for Cole Anthony, Jonathan Isaac, Jett Howard, the No. 18 pick and a 2025 first-round pick (top-five-protected, via DEN)

"The Hawks seem determined to break apart their backcourt, and many believe their "preference" would be parting with Young rather than Dejounte Murray, per NBA insider Marc Stein. Despite being a 25-year-old three-time All-Star, Young could be tricky to move given his defensive limitations and sky-high salary (three years, $138 million remaining).

The Magic, though, are desperate for offense, potentially loaded with enough defensive talent to take on a sieve like Young and have the flexibility needed to take this financial hit. And if they could power-up their 22nd-ranked offense without losing any essentials—Anthony is a spark plug, Isaac is unreliable, Howard hardly played as a rookie and the picks aren't great—this might be an offer they can't refuse.

The Hawks, meanwhile, would trim their payroll, add a pair of plug-and-play contributors (three if Howard forces his way into the rotation), and gain more trade chips to throw around should the right player become available."

I don't like this trade for the Hawks. I love Isaac as a player and you could make the argument he is one of the best defenders in the NBA, but he struggles to stay healthy and does not play major minutes. If he were able to start playing more minutes, he would fit in well with the team. Anthony would be a decent bench player, Howard did not crack the rotation for Orlando as a rookie, and the pick from Denver is not going to be a high pick. Atlanta currently does not have a 2025 pick, but the Nuggets will be one of the top teams in the NBA next year, meaning the pick will be near the bottom of the first round.

For one of the best offensive players in the NBA, that is just not a good enough return. Orlando might be interested in Young, but they would need to come up with a better trade package than that. I still don't think that Young will be moved this offseason and that Atlanta will try to put a better roster around him.