Hawks fans will be sickened by this hypothetical Trae Young trade…
This offseason, the Hawks are anticipated to make significant roster changes. The two biggest dominos will undoubtedly be what they do with the first overall pick and whether they trade for Trae Young or Dejounte Murray.
The overwhelming favorite to be the first prospect off the board in roughly a month is Alex Sarr. The 7-foot Frenchman has a great chance to become the next unicorn in the NBA if he can improve offensively.
The more important choice Atlanta will have to make is around which All-Star point guard to center their offense around. The Hawks will need to consider their options because Trae Young is undoubtedly the better player of the two and a trade with him would yield more assets to build around.
It’s not shocking that clubs might prefer Dejounte Murray over Trae Young, according to a report that was published more recently. First off, Murray might not require as much capital in a possible trade and would be more affordable financially. Second, rather than being a liability defensively, he is a much larger point guard. Although he lacks Trae Young’s offensive ceiling, an acquiring team might not require it.
Having said that, despite the past few seasons, Young is still a superstar. Trae Young is a walking 25 and 10, and almost every NBA team would be far superior with him starting at point guard rather than their present player. If reports about his trade value are accurate, the Hawks would be better off holding onto him.
Since the world has gone insane if a Trae Young trade results in the straight-up acquisition of Brandon Ingram. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report imagines that the Hawks trade their best player to the Pelicans for their second-best player.
The trade: Trae Young to the New Orleans Pelicans for Brandon Ingram.
Young’s open-market value seems incalculable. Despite having some of the most outrageous stat lines in the league and being a three-time All-Star, he is also a clear defensive liability and one of the more ball-dominant players in this league.
Instead of trying to figure out how to trade him for picks, prospects, and cash relief, Atlanta could always make things easier by regaining another player who divides opinion just as much.
The 26-year-old Ingram has a nomination for the All-Star team and a Most Improved Player honor on his record. Only a dozen players have been able to match his five-year streak of at least 20 points and four assists per game. In addition, he hasn’t played in 70 games since his rookie campaign, has significantly decreased his volume of three-pointers made and scored, and needs a new contract before the end of the summer.
The Pelicans are reportedly going to shop Ingram around because they could use a new playmaker. If one team was able to bring out a quality in one of these players that the other was unable to, a challenge trade between these teams could prove to be immensely captivating.
A straight-up trade of Dejounte Murray for Brandon Ingram seems more consistent with their principles. Though he’s not a superstar, 6-foot-9 wing Brandon Ingram can make his own shots. He can’t carry the offensive load, has only made one All-Star appearance, and has never guided his team past the first round of the playoffs. Conversely, Young is an All-NBA player, has advanced to the Conference Finals, and can take over on offense.
In his two postseason series, Ingram has averaged less than 22 points and roughly five assists. In five postseason series, Young, who has played in the league for two fewer seasons, averages over 26 points and nine assists per game.
Even more absurd is the fact that in four playoff series, Trae Young has averaged over 28 points and almost 10 assists. This is excluding the series against the Heat in 2022, when Miami dominated Trae Young without a second ball handler. Given the type of player Young has been, it would be misleading to suggest a straight-up swap between the two because they aren’t on the same level.