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

Trae Young was one of the first superstar names to pop up as a trade candidate this year. However, few expected him to be dealt so quickly after news broke of 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 measly package of just CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to land Young’s services.

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

Still, fans can’t help but think that it is an incredibly underwhelming trade return. 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 one of those years. His defensive flaws and physical shortcomings limit Young greatly, but he is still clearly one of the best 3-point shooters and playmakers in the entire NBA. He even led the Hawks to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance before.

There were a number of teams that made sense as a trade destination for Young, but clearly he wanted to play in Washington, and it is evident that the Hawks didn’t receive many, if any, enticing trade offers. Considering his minuscule trade value, what underwhelming hypothetical trade proposals would have actually been better than the deal the Hawks received from the Wizards?

Trail Blazers could have traded for Trae Young

Just days before Young was traded to the Wizards, ClutchPoints theorized a deal to the Trail Blazers. In that proposal, the Hawks ended up with Jerami Grant, Scoot Henderson, a first-round pick, and three second-round picks. As it turns out, that would have been a massive overpay. Grant is averaging 20-plus points per game for the fourth time in his career, and Henderson was a recent number three overall pick who still has tons of potential. Not to mention, this would have been a decent chunk of draft capital for the Hawks to receive.

Instead, the Trail Blazers could have traded just Grant and Robert Williams and still have bested Washington’s offer. Williams plays sparingly and has struggled with injuries his whole career. This would have made for an eventual backcourt of Young, Henderson, Damian Lillard, and Jrue Holiday. That is an unfathomable amount of guard talent on one roster.

It isn’t like the Trail Blazers wouldn’t have still had plenty of forward and big man help, either. Young and Lillard would have lit up the scoreboard from deep, and the rest of Portland’s roster could have covered for him on defense. Holiday and Toumani Camara, for example, are elite point-of-attack defenders, and Donovan Clingan is a great rim protector. Injuries have led to the point guard spot being a weakness for the Trail Blazers right now. With Young, they’d have been stacked there.

Milwaukee Bucks could’ve paired Trae Young and Giannis Antetokounmpo

For years, the Milwaukee Bucks have exhausted resources to try to build a contender around Giannis Antetokounmpo. It hasn’t worked, and considering the Bucks are basically out of assets, it was assumed that the team wouldn’t have enough to make a competitive offer for Young.

Young’s shooting and spacing would fit well in a lineup featuring Antetokounmpo. Although the Greek Freak has been listed as a trade candidate himself, the Bucks could have tried to make a Young-Antetokounmpo duo work. The Lillard and Antetokounmpo combination failed, but injuries and Lillard’s regression played big parts in that flop. Things could have been different with another sharpshooting guard with playmaking skills being Antetokounmpo’s right-hand man.

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

Orlando Magic needed more shooting

The Orlando Magic are another team that would have made sense as a fit for Young, but one that likely wouldn’t have wanted to trade much future capital. Orlando traded four first-round picks and a pick swap in the offseason deal for Desmond Bane, so further depleting their draft capital would have been risky.

If the Magic had known that just a couple of role players would have been enough to get a deal done, then they probably would have done it. The contracts of Jalen Suggs, Goga Bitadze, and Jett Howard would have matched Young’s salary. Bitadze is a backup big, and Howard looks like a draft bust, so losing them wouldn’t have hurt Orlando too much.

Suggs is a talented player, so trading him would have been a tougher pill to swallow. However, the guard just can’t seem to get healthy, and the Magic need more reliable players. Furthermore, the Magic’s biggest weakness has long been 3-point shooting, and Young is one of the best deep ball options in the NBA. His playmaking prowess would have also been beneficial on a team full of bigs and slashers.

Miami Heat had enough to trade for Trae Young

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

Terry Rozier, Davion Mitchell, and Simone Fontecchio would have been enough to make the money work in a Heat-Hawks trade. Of course, it isn’t clear whether Rozier is trade-eligible, as he is being investigated in a sports gambling case. If the Heat could have gotten off his contract, though, they certainly would have been thrilled to do so.

Fontecchio is a 3-point threat, ala Kispert, and Mitchell is a starting-caliber guard, so he could have been the McCollum part of the equation here. Miami has been looking for a third star to pair with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro ever since Jimmy Butler requested a trade. That star might have been right in front of their faces had they traded with the Hawks.

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