Magic trade proposal lands Trae Young in offseason after Landry Fields firing
Trae Young is clearly one of the most talented offensive forces in the NBA. Young can score at will, especially from well beyond the 3-point arc. He is also arguably the best playmaker in the NBA, too. Young led the NBA with 11.6 assists per game this season, and back in 2021-22, he had the most total points and total assists in the NBA. The Atlanta Hawks run their entire offense through the three-time All-Star.
However, even with how great Young’s offense is, his defense seemingly limits the Hawks’ ceiling. Young is only 6-foot-1 and 164 pounds, meaning he matches up well against almost nobody. Additionally, the point guard has shown questionable effort and instincts on the less glamorous side of the basketball. These defensive concerns have led to the Oklahoma product regularly being thrown into trade rumors, and those rumors will pick up in a big way this offseason.
Young’s Hawks missed the postseason this year because they lost two games in the Play-in Tournament. Young was notably bad in the Play-in Tournament, and he even got ejected late in the blowout loss against the Orlando Magic. Since then, the Hawks fired their general manager, Landry Fields, and it is widely assumed that big changes are coming. It is unclear how drastic these changes will be, but if the Hawks go all in on change, then the team could decide to finally trade Young. If they do put Young on the trading block, then the Orlando Magic will likely be one of the first teams to call them.
Magic trade proposal for Trae Young
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Hawks receive: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jonathan Isaac, Jett Howard, Cole Anthony, 2025 first-round pick (via Denver), 2025 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick, 2031 first-round pick (lottery protected)
It might not be easy for the Hawks to do business with them team that just beat them in the Play-in Tournament, but the Magic seem like they’d be eager to pursue a deal for Young because of the needs that they have on their roster. Plus, the Magic have plenty of tradable assets that should be intring to the Hawks.
The Magic are one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA, and they have been for a while now. Young would immediately fix their biggest weakness because he is one of the best high-volume shooters in the league. Additionally, Orlando’s worst position is the point guard spot. Jalen Suggs has developed into a solid player, but his excellent defense and improved shooting mean he is best for the shooting guard position. Orlando’s best players are Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, both of whom are forwards, so having a table setter like Young who can get them the ball in advantageous positions would be nice, too.
Additionally, the Magic have plenty of defense on their roster, so they have the talent to mask Young’s weaknesses. The players that Orlando sends out in this deal are Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jonathan Isaac, Jett Howard, and Cole Anthony. Caldwell-Pope and Isaac are big contributors to Orlando’s elite defense, but Caldwell-Pope showed significant signs of regression in his first year with the Magic, and Isaac has always been limited to low minutes and often struggles with injuries.
Additionally, Howard has all but busted out in Orlando, and everything that Anthony does, Young does significantly better. Young would form one of the best big threes in the NBA alongside Banchero and Wagner. If there is a place where he can win a championship, it is with the Magic.
Do the Hawks have a path to contention with Trae Young?
Trading away stars is never easy, but the Hawks seem to be stuck in mediocrity with Trae Young leading the way. The Hawks made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, but that was a surprise at the time and has looked like a fluke ever since. Since then, Atlanta has had two first-round exits and two consecutive postseason misses.
The team has tried to build around Young, but they’ve only gotten worse, and a new general manager might want a fresh start. Luckily, Young holds immense trade value. The Hawks selected Zaccharie Risacher first overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, and they add four more first-rounders in this deal.
Two of those firsts come in the 2025 NBA Draft, and combined with the team’s incoming pick from the Sacramento Kings, they’d have three picks this year to help quickly kick off a rebuild. Additionally, the players that the Hawks bring in in this deal all fit what the team needs.
Caldwell-Pope and Isaac, as mentioned earlier, are fantastic defenders. Howard was highly touted as a prospect only two years ago, which is why the Magic made him a lottery selection. He hasn’t panned out in Orlando, but that is likely because the team has so much depth that he hasn’t been given much of a chance. A change of scenery could do wonders for the youngster. Even Anthony could help fill some of the scoring burden that would be left by Young’s departure.
Young is often compared to ex-Dallas Maverick Luka Doncic because the Hawks prioritized adding Young and traded away the pick that became Doncic back in the 2018 NBA Draft. Somehow, Doncic switched teams before Young did, but don’t be surprised if Young is moved this offseason, too.
