Trail Blazers trade proposal for Trea Young amid Hawks slump

The Portland Trail Blazers rebuilt their backcourt in the offseason. They reunited with Damian Lillardwhich is one of the best players in franchise history. They too traded for Jrue Holidaywho is one of the best defensive guards in NBA history. However, point guard has been a glaring weakness this year. Luckily, one of the best point guards in the NBA just hit it off trade market. The Trail Blazers should get going Trae Young, as he and the Atlanta Hawks are now looking for a replacement.

Trail Blazers trade proposal for Trae Young

The Trail Blazers get: Trae Young

The Atlanta Hawks receive: Jeremy Grant, Scott Henderson, 2028 first-round pick (via Magic), three second-round picks

While the backcourt of Lillard and Holiday could take the Trail Blazers to the next level, the duo won’t be playing together until next season. Lillard is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. Holiday also missed most of the season with a calf injury. Even Scoot Henderson has missed the entire season so far with a hamstring problem.

The Trail Blazers are holding their own in a stacked Western Conference, but they are held back by how depleted they are at the point guard positions. A trade for Young could help Portland make a playoff run. He is consistently in the running for the NBA lead in assists per game, and is one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA.

Both his shooting and playmaking would be a perfect fit for a Trail Blazers team which ranks 27th in 3-point percentage (34.1%) and 26th in assists per game (24.8). In addition to the trade helping this season, Young would be moving on to the future. Lillard is past his prime and will likely never be the player he was during his first stint with the Trail Blazers. Holiday has also shown signs of regression over the past two seasons, especially on the defensive end.

The guard trio of Holiday, Lillard and Young would have the potential to be one of the best in the NBA, but Young’s presence would provide security for an aging backcourt, and at 27, he still fits the timeline of the rest of the core. Young’s playmaking skills would benefit young players such as Danny Awdia, Tumani Kamara, Donovan Klingan and Young Hansen.

Henderson would have been shipped in this deal, but he didn’t quite live up to the expectations of going third overall. The Trail Blazers would also lose Jeramie Grant, one first-round pick and three second-rounders, but that’s a small price to pay for a four-time All-Star, even with Young’s flaws. Young’s defensive shortcomings are the main reason he isn’t part of the Hawks’ long-term plans, but the Trail Blazers have enough defense to cover Young in that regard. Klingan is an elite rim protector, and Kamara and Holiday are top defenders at the point of attack.

Are the Trail Blazers an ideal trade partner for the Hawks?

The Hawks will likely have options on who to trade Young for. In fact, Portland was not on the list top six trade destinations for Yang’s services. Still, making a deal with the Trail Blazers could still make a lot of sense. It’s not entirely clear what Young’s trade value is, especially when it comes to draft capital.

It is considered one of the the best players in the NBAbut his ability to contribute to victory came into question. The Hawks tried to surround him with defenders, but his size and shortcomings on the less glamorous side of the court were too difficult for Atlanta to overcome, and that could scare teams away from trading huge shares.

In this deal, Atlanta would end up with just one first-round pick, making Henderson the centerpiece of this comeback. While Henderson had a disappointing rookie season, missing his entire junior year, he showed signs of life as a sophomore. Henderson was thought to be a potential candidate who could have gone first overall had he not been drafted with Victor Vembanyama.

It’s possible that the G-League Ignite product turned the corner last year and could still reach his potential, especially after a change of scene. Atlanta would rely on Henderson’s downhill ability, which would lead to him becoming an All-Star. A backfield with Henderson and Dyson Daniels would have a lot of potential. Daniels is already a Defensive Player of the Year caliber. The Hawks should hold out for the highest return they can get. This might not be it, but if the Hawks don’t get any better, the Henderson center package would be something to get excited about.