Grade the trade: 3-team pitch reunites Hawks' Trae Young with childhood friend

3-Team trade proposal lands Hawks, Nuggets stars on Magic

Bailey called the Magic a “looming powerhouse” coming off their fifth-place finish in the Eastern Conference and first playoff appearance in four years. The Magic’s 47 wins in 2023-24 were their most since 2010-11.

They got by with their defense, though, boasting the third-best rating on that end of the floor.

However, the Magic had the 22nd-ranked offensive rating and had some issues with high-scoring teams, going 26-33 when opponents scored 100-plus points.

They were 1-3 versus the Hawks during the regular season, losing by an average margin of just 111-108 in the four-game series. Adding Young – who averaged 30 points and 9.7 assists in his three games versus the Magic this season – would solve multiple quandaries.

Getting Young’s childhood friend in Michael Porter Jr. only raises the ceiling in this scenario.

Porter has dealt with similar health woes as Isaac, though the former has logged at least 60 appearances in three of four NBA seasons, including a career-high 81 last season.

He is not the defender that Isaac is even when locked in. But Porter’s offensive versatility would take a heavy burden off of Paolo Banchero who was often saddled with doing the heavy lifting on the scoreboard and handling the ball.

With Young in to address the latter issue in this scenario, the Magic make out like bandits.

Even with the commitment to a lightly proven core of Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Wendell Carter Jr. and the draft capital they would surrender, the Magic would win in this trade scenario.

Grade – A+: This is a blockbuster move for an organization that has slowly rebuilt itself over the last few years. If they are ready to compete, it makes perfect sense.