On Monday, January 5, news broke that Trae Young's time with the Atlanta Hawks may be coming to a close. Young is one of the best players in the NBA, at least on the offensive end, and he has had some big moments with the team that drafted him. However, the Hawks have underperformed in the years since the point guard led them to the Eastern Conference Finals, largely because Young is undersized and lackluster on the defensive end.
Even so, he could thrive in the right situation, and a new team seems inevitable. Young and the Hawks are working together to find a trade partner. Young immediately becomes one of the top trade candidates ahead of the NBA trade deadline, but where are his best fits?
6. Miami Heat
The Miami Heat have been looking for a third star to pair with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro ever since Jimmy Butler requested a trade out of town. Young would be a great fit for the team. The Heat's highest-paid point guard is Terry Rozier, but he has been out due to a gambling investigation.
That has left Davion Mitchell to take the vast majority of the point guard minutes. Mitchell is a stifling defender, and his gritty playstyle perfectly fits the Heat's culture. Young would provide the yin to Mitchell's yang as an offensive superstar. The Eastern Conference is wide open with injuries to players such as Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum, so the Heat should be aggressive in improving the roster. Right now, Miami is in seventh place in their conference, but they are only three wins shy of the second-placed Boston Celtics.
5. Phoenix Suns
Another team in recent memory that lost some of their superstar talent is the Phoenix Suns. The team moved on from both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal in the offseason. The Suns didn't have enough touches to go around with those two teamed up with Devin Booker, but now Phoenix could actually use a boost on the offensive end.
Young would bring a dose of playmaking that is missing on this roster while also adding another 3-point threat. Phoenix has exceeded expectations this year by playing with attitude and physicality. Young doesn't necessarily fit this style of play, but he is a competitor, and perhaps his defensive shortcomings could be masked by a solid defensive team.
Dillon Brooks is one of the league's most notorious enforcers. He'd always have Young's back, which is important because Young is known to get into it with opposing players.
4. Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets had the best offseason in the NBA. They traded for Kevin Durant and Clint Capela in the biggest trade in NBA history, and they signed Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Okogie in free agency. Furthermore, Houston re-signed Jabari Smith Jr., Steven Adams, Fred VanVleet, Aaron Holiday, Jae'Sean Tate, and Jeff Green.
The team's roster was loaded, but point guard was viewed as perhaps the biggest weakness coming into the year. Things got even worse when VanVleet tore his ACL during training camp. The Rockets are all in on winning while Durant is still playing at a high level, so they should be willing to replace VanVleet's role, despite the fact that Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson have performed well in the backcourt.
Thompson would perhaps still be best playing at the two rather than being used as the lead guard, and Sheppard will have growing pains during his first year in the rotation. Young, meanwhile, would work wonders as a facilitator on a team with tons of size. He could kick the ball out to shooters like Durant and Sheppard, he could feed interior players like Alperen Sengun and Clint Capela, and slashers such as Thompson would benefit from his playmaking. Additionally, Young is an elite 3-point shooter, and the Rockets could use a dose of outside shooting and spacing, given that Sengun and Thompson are so good inside.
It would likely take the contracts of VanVleet, Adams, and Tari Eason to get this done, as well as a number of draft picks. The Rockets would have to be okay with losing what VanVleet can offer next year if they got a replacement of Young's caliber, and they still have plenty of draft picks to trade. Ime Udoka instills a defensive mindset that could help Young become competent on that end, too.
3. Orlando Magic
Priority number one for the Orlando Magic in recent years has been adding 3-point shooters. That was most evident when they traded four first-round picks and more to acquire Desmond Bane in the offseason. Bane has helped, but the Magic are still subpar as a team from deep, so they shouldn't stop adding snipers who would fit well alongside slashers such as Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
The Magic have struggled to take the next step forward. While they'd sacrifice some of the length and defense that they so covet by bringing in the Hawks guard, the addition of Young would be more than worth it. Not only would he single-handedly fix Orlando's 3-point problem, but his playmaking would greatly improve the offense, too. Jalen Suggs is too often hurt to be relied upon, and Young is young enough to be the long-term answer at point guard.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves have arguably the biggest need for a point guard in the NBA, and the team has been no stranger to making superstar trades in recent years. Minnesota has made the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons, but getting to the next level might be impossible with the status of the team's point guard position.
The players who have taken up minutes at the position are Mike Conley, Rob Dillingham, Bones Hyland, and Donte DiVincenzo. Conley is well past his prime, Dillingham has yet to live up to his pre-draft hype, and DiVincenzo would be best off playing the shooting guard spot. Hyland has been solid as of late, but even he was on a two-way contract not long ago.
A backcourt of Young and Anthony Edwards would be quite explosive. Minnesota is also another team with enough defense to cover for Young's flaws.
1. Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards have already been linked as the frontrunners to trade for Young. The team has been adding draft prospects as part of a rebuild for quite some time now, but at some point, they are going to have to make the moves that will help them get into playoff contention.
While some have questioned Young's ability to play winning basketball at the championship level, there is no question that he'd be a floor raiser for a bad team like the Wizards. He'd help the team get better right now, but he could also help in the development of Washington's young talent.
Young has led the league in assists per game three times, and his ability to get his teammates involved would help the youngsters get better looks.
