Trae Young is one of the best offensive players in the NBA, and that is clear when judging his numbers. Not to mention, Young was the player who led the Atlanta Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021. There is no doubt that Trae can score and pass the ball, but he might be an overrated star. How could a player with two All-Star selections averaging at least 25 PPG and 9 APG over his career be overrated? The reason is that he might not influence winning as much as he influences the stat sheet.
- 5. Washington Wizards
- 4. Toronto Raptors
- 3. Chicago Bulls
- 2. Miami Heat
- 1. New York Knicks
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Young is a spectacular offensive player when it comes to getting buckets and creating shots for others, but his high usage rate does not make the team instantly better. So far, the Atlanta Hawks stand with a 31-30 record which is good for only 8th in the East. Young could be another example of a star player putting up big numbers on a bad team. Not to mention, Nate McMillan is another head coach that was fired because he could not lead the Hawks into contention with Young as the franchise player. Who is the next coach to tackle Young, possibly a difficult player to win with?
Trae made the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, but he could not do enough to make the NBA Finals and has not led the team deep into the playoffs since then. Young takes a lot of shots (19.7 FGA) as a point guard, does not shoot a high percentage (42.8% FG, 32.4% 3-PT FG), and has averaged 4.1 turnovers per game over his career. Young is talented enough to put up numbers, but he is overrated because his production has not led to enough team wins. The fact that Atlanta also had Luka Doncic in their grasp in the 2018 Draft but took Trae Young instead does not the criticism that is coming Trae’s way.
We have already seen the five best destinations for Kyrie Irving, and it certainly raised some eyebrows. Where would Trae Young end up if he is the next star guard to get traded? There are some teams looking at Trae right now, and if the reports are true that Young could be the next star to be moved, here are the best five destinations for the 2-time All-Star.
5. Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards need to do something as they have been irrelevant since John Wall started his endless injury history. Wall moved on in the 2021 season, and the team also moved on from Russell Westbrook the following season. They have built a nice squad, but it doesn’t have enough weapons to catapult them forward, as evidenced by the lack of success they’ve had. Not to mention, Bradley Beal is on the team and he has not been happy with how things have gone.
Beal has remained loyal to the soil, but how much more can he take? Talking about his future with Marc J. Spears, Beal has made it known that his patience has run thin and that he wants to start competing. Having Trae Young alongside him would do wonders for his career, because two elite stars together would be scary for the league. How could Washington pull this off? The best way is by engaging in a trade that involves Kristaps Porzingis, Deni Avdija, and three first-round picks. Moving Kristaps Porzingis to the Hawks can allow Atlanta to move on from players like Clint Capela and John Collins or give them an open slate, given how Porzingis’ contract extension talks go. Avdija is a valuable young defensive wing that could give the Hawks a new identity as well. The most important pieces would be the first-round picks, which would allow Atlanta to enter a new era with the hopes of drafting a new franchise player. Meanwhile, Beal and Young start making significant noise in the Eastern Conference even if they might lack defensive ability.
4. Toronto Raptors
There are probably two players who will remain untouched in Toronto: Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam. Moving Barnes is not realistic, given how the Raptors refused to move him for even Kevin Durant. Similarly, Siakam has just made his second All-Star Team and is having a career year by posting 25.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and 6.1 APG on 48.0% FG. Those two pieces look solid, but adding Trae Young would make them even more potent. To achieve this, the Raptors will have to part with O.G. Anunoby and 2022 All-Star Fred VanVleet along with three first-round picks.
O.G. Anunoby is emerging as one of the most valuable players in the NBA, with his trade value shooting up as he has emerged as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate this season. Atlanta also acquires Fred VanVleet in the trade to keep their guard rotation strong. The Raptors get a bonafide point guard that can not only score at an elite level but also provide open shots for wing players and shooters. This could be one of the deals that help Atlanta rebuild the quickest.
No doubt, the Raptors still win this trade. A Pascal Siakam-Trae Young pick duo could be one of the most lethal offensive schemes in the NBA. At the same time, they still have Barnes who can continue building from his Rookie of the Year campaign last season. With a Big Three in place, Toronto can regroup quickly and start pushing for a top-3 spot in the East. Young is a great offensive player, but surrounding him with two athletic defenders could do him very well.
3. Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls were supposed to be “sellers” in the trade market, but they still have Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan on the roster. Both stars were in trade rumors before the trade deadline, but neither of them was moved as the Bulls held intact. Currently, they are nothing but an average team at best, although they have performed at a below-average level. At 27-33, Chicago is at risk of missing the postseason as they are not even in the playoff picture at the moment. That could all change with a 24-year-old Trae Young coming on board.
To prevent blowing up the entire roster, the Bulls might go after Young. Zach LaVine, at only 27 years old, could be the trade bait as he is posting 24.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 4.0 APG on 46.9% FG, 37.3% 3-PT FG, and 83.8% FT. The shooting guard has an elite offensive arsenal and signed a 5-year max extension recently last year. Lonzo Ball, the former No. 2 overall pick, has not played at all this season but is only 25 years old. Could a deal involving LaVine, Ball, and a first-round pick or two be used to acquire Trae Young and Clint Capela? Possibly. Atlanta can replace Young with a more athletic LaVine and give Ball a chance to develop into the All-Star player that we all expected him to become. What about a direct swap of LaVine for Young including multiple picks? Also feasible.
Meanwhile, in Chicago, a duo of DeRozan and Young brings it on offense and creates a better core than what Chicago has right now. Keeping DeRozan, who made the All-Star Team this year, is not ideal but could be necessary to keep title hopes alive in Chicago. With Young alongside him and Nikola Vucevic or Clint Capela down low, do the Bulls have one of the best Big Threes in the NBA? Absolutely they do, and making the playoffs over the next few years and striving for the Eastern Conference Finals isn’t too far-fetched.
2. Miami Heat
Miami needs one more star to truly be the favorite in the Eastern Conference. The team has developed Bam Adebayo effectively because his partnership with Jimmy Butler has already been the catalyst for a Finals appearance in 2020. Credit should also go to Tyler Herro, a strong scorer who is someone that any team wants as he is only 23 years old. The only way Miami should move on from Herro would be to add an All-Star offensive player, something that Trae Young absolutely is. Herro is posting 20.7 PPG this season, which is very solid, but not All-Star worthy so far.
No doubt, Atlanta will ask for Herro as a priority if they engage the Heat in trade talks. The Heat will be desperate to get their hands on Young, so the Hawks might even have to accept a package centered around Herro, Kyle Lowry, and two or three first-round picks. No matter the package that gets offered, Trae to Miami is a very real possibility because only the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Philadelphia 76ers are legitimate title threats in the East.
Miami can compete with these teams by acquiring one of the top offensive players in the NBA to allow Butler and Adebayo to focus on defense. There is no doubt that Trae Young would take them over the top. A Big Three of Young, Butler, and Bam would be exciting to watch on both ends of the court. Is there also any doubt that Eric Spoelstra and the Heat organization won’t be able to get the best out of the high-usage point guard? Expect the Heat to go into Trae Young talks strongly if the Hawks do make it clear that they want to move on from their former No. 5 overall pick.
1. New York Knicks
The New York Knicks are a team that is trying its best to make a push this season, as they look to be in a position to make the postseason after missing out last year. That is necessary considering the Knicks shocked the world to capture the 4th seed in the East two seasons ago behind All-NBA performer Julius Randle. The Knicks have looked inconsistent this year, although they currently hold an impressive 33-27 in the Eastern Conference thanks to the addition of Jalen Brunson. To take that next step, the Knicks need a legitimate star player who can bring out the best in Randle and also alleviate the playmaking role of Brunson. In comes Trae Young, one of the best offensive players in the league.
With plenty of decent basketball going around thanks to Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, the Knicks are once again in the spotlight in terms of media and fan pressure. No doubt the best way forward for New York is to make a blockbuster deal to shake up the Eastern Conference. Young could be a player to compete alongside Randle and Brunson, while the franchise keeping RJ Barrett could also be a possibility. The trade for Young would have to be huge, possibly involving high-salary players (Evan Fournier, Derrick Rose), young players (Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes), and multiple first-round picks.
With Young, the Knicks become very intriguing in the East as they no longer have second-tier talent when compared to the Celtics, Bucks, 76ers, and Cavaliers. Rather, they have one of the best starting lineups in the NBA. It won’t be easy at all for New York to pull this off, but Atlanta might be interested in multiple first-round picks and young players who compete hard. Out of all the teams in the NBA that could be interested in Young, New York definitely tops the list.
