4 pathetic Trae Young trade proposals that would be better than the Wizards deal

Trae Young is one of the first superstar names to appear as a trade candidate this year. However, few expected it to be resolved so quickly after the news broke his and the Atlanta Hawks’ mutual interest in parting ways. The Hawks quickly scoured the trade market and settled on a deal with the Washington Wizards. Washington sent a meager package of just CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to acquire Young’s services.

McCollum is already 34 years old and well past his prime. At first glance, he seems like a major demotion for Atlanta’s running back, both short-term and long-term. Kispert is a great 3-point shooter, but he’s only a player who averages 9.2 points per game. The Hawks didn’t get a single draft pick in this deal, which is unheard of in a superstar trade these days. It shows that the Hawks simply wanted to terminate Young’s contract because they think they are better off without him.

Still, fans can’t help but think it is incredibly overwhelming trade returns. After all, the Oklahoma product has four All-Star nods to his name. He has led the league in total assists three times, as well as total points in one of those years. His defensive shortcomings and physical shortcomings limit Young greatly, but he’s still clearly one of the best 3-point shooters and playmakers in the entire NBA. He even led the Hawks to an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals before.

There were several teams that made sense as a trade destination for Young, but it’s clear he wanted to play in Washington, and it’s clear the Hawks didn’t receive many, if any, enticing trade offers. Considering his miniscule trade value, what compelling hypothetical trade proposals would actually be better than the deal the Hawks got from the Wizards?

The Trail Blazers could trade for Trae Young

Just days before Young was traded to the Wizards, ClutchPoints theorized a deal with the Trail Blazers. In that draft, the Hawks ended up with Jeramie Grant, Scott Henderson, a first-round pick and three second-round picks. As it turns out, that would be a huge overpayment. Grant is averaging 20-plus points per game for the fourth time in his career, and Henderson was recently drafted third overall and still has plenty of potential. Not to mention, this would be a decent chunk of capital for the Hawks.

Instead, the Trail Blazers could only trade Grant and Robert Williams and still beat Washington’s offer. Williams plays sparingly and has struggled with injuries throughout his career. This would lead to an eventual backcourt of Young, Henderson, Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday. That’s an unfathomable amount of running back talent on one roster.

Not that the Trail Blazers wouldn’t still have plenty of forwards and big help. Young and Lillard would light up the scoreboard from deep, and the rest of Portland’s roster could cover him defensively. Holiday and Toumani Camara, for example, are elite defenders at the point of attack, and Donovan Clingan is a terrific rim protector. Injuries have made the point guard position a weakness for the Trail Blazers right now. With Yang, they would be stacked there.

Milwaukee Bucks he could pair Trae Young and Giannis Antetokounmpo

For years, the Milwaukee Bucks have drained resources to try to build a contender around Giannis Antetokounmpo. It didn’t work, and with the Bucks basically out of assets, it was assumed the team wouldn’t have enough to make a competitive offer for Young.

Young’s shooting and spacing would fit well in a lineup with Antetokounmpo. Although it is The Greek Freak has been listed as a trade candidate himselfThe Bucks could try to make a Young-Antetokounmpo duo. The combination of Lillard and Antetokounmpo failed, but injuries and Lillard’s regression played a big part in that flop. Things could have been different with another sharp-shooting guard with playmaking skills who was Antetokounmpo’s right-hand man.

The Bucks could trade Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma and Gary Harris for Young. This last-ditch effort to keep Antetokounmpo could pay off, especially in this season where the Eastern Conference is wide open.

The Orlando Magic are another team that would make sense as suitable for Yangbut one that probably wouldn’t want to trade a large future capital. Orlando traded four first-round picks and a pick swap offseason deal for Desmond Baneso further depleting their draft capital would be risky.

If the Magic knew that just a few players would be enough to make a deal, they probably would have done it. The contracts of Jalen Suggs, Goga Bitadze and Jett Howard would match Young’s salary. Bitadze is a great backup and Howard looks like a draft bust, so losing them wouldn’t hurt Orlando too much.

Suggs is a talented player, so trading him would be a tough pill to swallow. However, the point guard just can’t seem to recover, and the Magic need more reliable players. Moreover, the Magic’s biggest weakness has long been the 3-point shot, and Young is one of the best deep-ball options in the NBA. His playmaking prowess would also come in handy in a team loaded with bigs and playmakers.

Miami Heat had enough to trade for Tree Young

Not many teams have role players who cost enough to be used in a trade for Young. The Wizards did this in the form of McCollum’s contract, so they could make the money work for the trade. The Miami Heat are another team that has high-priced players that could be used to acquire Young, meaning they could add an All-Star caliber point guard without giving up much from their rotation.

Terry Rozier, Davion Mitchell and Simone Fontecchio would be enough to make the money work in a Heat-Hawks trade. Of course, it’s unclear whether Rozier is eligible for a trade, as he is under investigation in a sports gambling case. However, if the Heat were able to terminate his contract, they would certainly be thrilled to do so.

Fontecchio is a 3-point threat, ala Kispert, and Mitchell is a starting-caliber guard, so McCollum could be part of the equation here. Miami has since been looking for a third star to pair with Bama Adebayo and Tyler Herr Jimmy Butler requested a substitution. That star might have been right in front of them if they had traded with the Hawks.