Spurs offseason Trae Young trade proposal after Landry Fields firing

Hawks receive: Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, Blake Wesley, 2025 first-round pick, 2025 first-round pick (via Atlanta), 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick

Spurs receive: Trae Young

At first glance, it looks like the Spurs don’t need a point guard. Chris Paul played a massive role in developing Victor Wembanyama during his second season in the NBA, and the all-time great point guard even played in all 82 games for the first time in his career. Additionally, the team’s trade for Fox was highly praised around the basketball world.

However, Paul has already had one of the longest NBA careers ever, and he isn’t under contract for next season, so retirement or a new home could be on the horizon for Paul. Additionally, Fox is a player who has experience playing alongside other point guards. Fox spent time with the Sacramento Kings playing with Tyrese Haliburton in his back court, and he fit in well with Paul before suffering a season-ending injury.

Fox is a speed demon who thrives in transition. Meanwhile, Young thrives in the half-court because of his impressive range and elite playmaking. Speaking of Young’s playmaking ability, he is fresh off of a season where he led the NBA in assists per game (11.6). Having someone who can thrive getting Wembanyama the ball will be key going forward, and Young is arguably at his best when throwing lobs or dump-off passes to his center.

A big three of Wembanyama, Fox, and Young would be close to unstoppable, especially because of the spacing all three provide. Some fans would worry that there wouldn’t be enough shots to go around, similar to what the Phoenix Suns have dealt with over the last couple of years, but Fox and Young are both high assists guys.

Additionally, Wembanyama would be able to cover up for Young’s biggest weakness: defense. Young’s struggles on that end of the floor have prevented the Hawks from truly contending. However, Wembanyama is the best defensive player in the league. He was well on his way to winning the Defensive Player of the Year award before his season was shut down due to blood clotting, and he still led the league with 176 blocks despite missing 36 games.

It looks like Young may never improve on defense, but in San Antonio, he would have Wembanyama backing him up to send any shot attempt in the paint away. In this deal, the Spurs don’t even have to depart with Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, or likely Rookie of the Year winner Stephon Castle.

Should the Hawks trade Trae Young and rebuild?

The Hawks missed the playoffs for the second straight season this year. They were bounced in the first round in both of the two years prior, and it is looking more and more like Atlanta’s surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021 was a fluke. The team has tried to build around Young by bringing in size and defense, but it hasn’t worked, and it appears that the team might be stuck in mediocrity.

Because of that, trading Young and embracing a full-blown rebuild makes a lot of sense. While Zaccharie Risacher was viewed as one of the worst number-one overall draft picks ever, he still has tons of potential, and the four first-rounders the team would add in this deal fit the timeline of the 20-year-old.

Two of those picks come in 2025, one of which would return Atlanta’s own pick that they traded away in the Dejounte Murray deal. By getting their own pick back, the Hawks would not only put a final stamp on what was a bad decision in trading for Murray, but they’d then have three picks to work with inside of the top 15 this year. That is a lot of ammunition to start a rebuild.

Additionally, Keldon Johnson and Blake Wesley would be intriguing pieces to bring into the fold. Johnson’s numbers were down in a big way this season, but he averaged 22 points per game only two seasons ago. Johnson is still only 25 years old, so a return to form as a fringe All-Star talent is certainly a possibility. Wesley could also break out after getting a change of scenery. Wesley was a first-round pick in 2022, so he has tons of potential, but a deep roster has left him glued to the bench in San Antonio.

Trae Young would not be an easy player to part with, but the Hawks don’t seem like they have a path to contention with him remaining on the roster. Few teams, if any, can offer as much for his services as the Spurs can.