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3 Trades the Los Angeles Lakers could offer the Atlanta Hawks for Trae Young

By Joshua Buckhalter

Atlanta Hawks, Trae Young. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta Hawks, Trae Young. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

The Hawks could target youth (and salary cap relief)

Atlanta could look to recreate something closer to what Snyder had in Utah with a group spearheaded by Dejounte Murray – an unrestricted free agent following the 2024 season – and surrounded by an assortment of 3-and-D-type players.

The Lakers would need to add some swaps on top of whatever actual picks the Hawks insist upon into the equation to get over the top here.

Former Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura, 25, had some impressive performances in the postseason but he also mixed in some duds and others where he was barely noticeable. But he did showcase his versatility in spacing the floor while defending Jokic.

Hachimura is a restricted free agent (expected to land a deal in the $13-16 million range) that the Lakers are rumored to want to keep. At just what number is likely to be the question because Hachimura’s potential ceiling is clouded by his actual inconsistency right now.

A former No. 9 overall pick, Hachimura could still offer some upside but paying up for part of one postseason’s worth of production is risky.

He averaged 9.6 points and 4.7 boards in 33 regular season games with L.A. but, just like most of the potential Lakers’ trade packages, is also not the true centerpiece of a deal worth parting with Young for. Those types of packages are rare and can be prohibitive for building out the rest of the roster.

Consider what the Hawks gave up for a one-time All-Star in Murray: three unrestricted first-round picks, one pick swap, and a valuable role player.

Or the bounty the Cleveland Cavaliers had to part with for Donovan Mitchell.

Due to previous trades, Los Angeles can’t trade a first-round pick that falls before the 2029 season. They can make their pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and then trade whichever player they take, likely at the behest of the acquiring team but a non-lottery pick (No. 17 overall) is not enough to make up the talent gap.

Those pieces are rare meaning the Lakers are really limited in what they can do.

L.A. could try to put together multiple sign-and-trades with their players so they can be included in a potential deal for Young a la the Orlando Magic signing-and-trading Chucky Atkins and Ben Wallace for Grant Hill in 2000.