With the trade deadline edging ever closer, ESPN proposed a mock trade that would see the Milwaukee Bucks add Trae Young, repeating a mistake they have made before.
Bucks lose depth and a draft pick for Trae Young
The Bucks need further offensive punch, but sacrificing two key rotation pieces and the only draft pick of any value for a guard who has been poor so far this season doesn't feel like a net positive move. In this trade, they would acquire the guard for Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis, Gary Harris, and the 2031 first-round pick.
Atlanta's struggles this season have been well-documented following an extremely positive offseason. They currently sit 10th in the East and are just a single game ahead of the Bucks. Young is averaging 19.3 points and 8.9 assists in a very disappointing season. What has led to the potential trade of the guard ramping up is that the Hawks are 2-8 with Young playing and 15-13 without him.
Milwaukee's starting backcourt of Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. has been very good of late, making it difficult to suggest sending one to the bench to bring Young in. We saw the Bucks try the same move with Damian Lillard, which, on paper, felt like a brilliant move, but ultimately didn't work out due to injuries, coaching, and a roster that was all over the place. Adding Young would potentially just be repeating history.
Both Portis and Kuzma would have to be involved in a trade with a large contract being taken on. However, losing both would have a huge impact on the frontcourt but also the depth of the team, which is already lacking. Harris features inconsistently, so he would be a player the front office should be more than willing to add into a trade.
Another huge factor in turning this deal down would be the lack of defense Young would bring. Milwaukee's defense isn't perfect, but Rollins has been excellent on both ends of the floor. Adding Young would take away from that.
The final detail from the Bucks' side is the value of the 2031 first-round pick. Jon Horst wouldn't be afraid to throw it into a deal that could change this team's fortunes around. According to Marc Stein (subscription required), the Washington Wizards are interested in Young and "it's believed that the Hawks would also have to send the Wizards draft capital to convince them to absorb Young's contract."
If that is the case, Milwaukee should then be asking for picks to take on Young's contract, too. Milwaukee needs more offensive punch, but the jury is out on Trae Young right now around the NBA.
For Atlanta, this move doesn't change their season all too much. Kuzma and Portis add to a frontcourt that is lacking depth, and both can potentially be flipped in the future. Harris is an ok veteran to bring in to a team that has some young pieces that have played well, but struggled to find success as a team.
The most important asset would be the draft pick. Giannis will be 36 when that pick is in play so who knows where the Milwaukee Bucks are as a franchise.
Young's future is not in Atlanta, with the front office so clearly willing to move him before the trade deadline. Jalen Johnson has broken out this season, and it is clear he is set to be the future star of their franchise. Moving Young on now makes sense, and getting a valuable draft pick and veteran contracts that can be moved on is a better deal for the Hawks than the Bucks, which is a good return with Young's value at the lowest it has ever been.
Hawks Grade: B+
The Bucks need some further offensive punch, so, understandably, they look at a guy like Trae Young. However, the Hawks clearly want to move him, and the Milwaukee Bucks could lean into that and get him for even cheaper.
As a move, it just feels like a repeat of the Lillard trade and losing the depth and dropping one of the starting guards to the bench could hamper Milwaukee more than they think.