You have to respect it when the premise gives the game away.
That is the case behind a new trade proposal suggesting the Atlanta Hawks part with three-time All-Star Trae Young.
While the idea makes little sense now given how early in the campaign we are and how Young has performed this season – on top of many other reasons – some potential destinations also make more sense than others.
Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz suggested this trade with the Miami Heat:
To Swartz’s credit, the subheader on the entry read “Trae Young Brings the Heat to Miami,” clearly indicating which team this proposal was geared toward.
His breakdown of the trade is also skewed toward making the deal make sense for the Heat.
That is fairly easy to do considering they would be acquiring the first and third-best player in this deal in Young and Larry Nance Jr., respectively, for a former Sixth Man of the Year in Tyler Herro, a rookie project in Kel’el Ware, and an inconsistent shooter in Duncan Robinson.
The first-round pick in the suggested deal could even potentially get pushed back if the Heat are forced to satisfy prior obligations.
As for Swartz’s argument why the Hawks should do it, it is a familiar story.
“The Hawks franchise looks like it has new life thanks to the play of Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson and No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher. Given that Young only has one guaranteed year remaining on his contract past this season, the two sides may have to have some serious conversations very soon,” Swartz wrote on November 18.
“Herro, 24, has been fantastic this season, putting up 24.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per night while shooting 47.9 percent from three. Adding him to this youth movement, along with Ware, Robinson and a future unprotected pick is a nice return for Young.”
The Hawks would save roughly $1.2 million in cap space in the deal as constructed. But there is one glaring issue aside from the Hawks parting with their best player and another good one in Nance.
The deal above fails to meet financial requirements, per Spotrac’s NBA Trade Machine.
Miami would need to shed $1.2 million more in salary. That is a simple fix by including backup center Thomas Bryant on a minimum salary in the deal. Of course, that would just create another Cody Zeller situation for the Hawks.
Zeller was the final piece the Hawks received in the Dejounte Murray trade. He has not been with the team all season as they sort through his situation, but he will not suit up for Atlanta.
This trade idea would make far more sense if the Hawks were desperate to move Young.
They are not, have not been, and he has not either. The Ringer’s Bill Simmons suggested the Hawks should bring Young off the bench as a sixth man if they do not trade him after the Hawks beat his favorite team, the Boston Celtics.
Young has always been a polarizing player. So it is par for the course to see suggestions about how he could help a contender also indicate the Hawks would be better off without him.
Until something changes though, Young should be expected to remain with the Hawks.