The Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks are two NBA teams needing major changes during the upcoming offseason. They each appear to have hit a hard ceiling without much of an outlook to improve without a real shake up.
A potential option for both teams could involve Trae Young being the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade. He has sorely struggled in the postseason and doesn’t appear capable of being that ultra-high usage threat that spams high pick-and-roll all game without a legitimate co-star.
Young’s postseason career began on a high note by leading the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021. He struggled with his efficiency even during the first two rounds of that playoff run but was still much more effective than he has been in recent years. He averaged 29.1 points and 10.4 assists on 41.3 percent from the floor and 33.0 percent on 3s. He averaged 22.4 shot attempts per game and generated 8.8 free throw attempts per game.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, Young began the series with an incredible Game 1 performance, recording 48 points and 11 assists. He was as inconsistent as it gets from that point on. He followed that up in Game 2 with 15 points on 6-16 from the floor and 1-8 on 3s with nine turnovers but then dropped an efficient 35 points. He ended the series with 14 points on 4-17 shooting while missing all six attempts from beyond the arc. Every other game he was a liability.
Young has since played against teams like the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics but has been largely ineffective. In those seven games, he’s averaged 16.7 points and 6.3 assists while shooting just 33.0 percent from the floor and 19.6 percent from 3-point range. It’s simply not working, even after making the bold move to trade for Dejounte Murray last summer.
When evaluating potential trade destinations among “wannabe contenders” for Young, HoopsHabit identified the Raptors as among the logical fits. The idea would be for Toronto to send out Scottie Barnes as the centerpiece of a trade package, enabling Young to be paired up with Pascal Siakam.
Perhaps with a co-star like Siakam, Young could better adapt to postseason play. He has faced tough, versatile defenses that can neutralize him in high pick-and-rolls, but he constantly relies on those actions. He needs to play more within the flow and find a situation where he can do so with a co-star that can give the offense different points of attack.
More must-reads: