Magic, Rockets linked to Trae Young trade

Following another up-and-down season in which the Atlanta Hawks failed to make the playoffs, Trae Young’s future with the team appears to be in doubt.

Young has spent all seven seasons of his NBA career with the Hawks, but other than an Eastern Conference Finals berth in 2021, Young’s tenure in Atlanta has been filled with disappointments and what-ifs. And with the Hawks searching for a new general manager to lead their front office, it would make sense if the next executive would like to move on from the polarizing point guard.

If Atlanta ultimately decides to trade Young this offseason, though, there is a question of who, if any, would be interested in acquiring him. From a basketball standpoint, one executive reportedly thinks the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets should be among them.

“One trusted talent evaluator went so far as to pinpoint two teams he suggests would be wise to test Atlanta’s resolve once it does hire a new president of basketball operations, asserting that Orlando and Houston would both benefit strongly from Young’s offensive gifts while also possessing ample defensive-minded personnel to insulate Young at the other end,” The Stein Line’s Marc Stein and Jake Fischer wrote.

“Although such thoughts qualify as just one exec’s landscape projections … they struck us as interesting to consider.”

It is clear why Young, in particular, would make sense for the Rockets and Magic. Both teams, while impressive defensively, struggled mightily at times to generate effective offense, including in the first round of the playoffs when they were both eliminated.

For Orlando, the injuries to Jalen Suggs and Mo Wagner certainly limited the team’s offense, but even with them, Orlando lacked the creativity and all-around offensive prowess that many of the league’s top ballhandlers possess. Similarly, Houston struggled with the ebbs and flows of lead guard Fred VanVleet, who was surrounded by players who often could not create shots for themselves and, as a result, were much better suited to play off-ball.

Young would solve some of the problems both Orlando and Houston currently face, but he can present issues as well. At times, his defensive ability and effort have been criticized, and he does relatively little when off the ball, often resting when not leading the offense.

Next season, Young will be in the fourth year of his five-year, $215 million contract extension. Following next season, during which he will earn $46 million, he can opt out of the final year of his deal. An extension, while not officially agreed to, would likely be implied by whichever team acquired Young.