Every season, there’s an unexpected shift in the NBA and this year is no different. After the league underwent massive changes last offseason, multiple stars have again been named as candidates to leave their current squads. Chief among these players stands Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young.
Young, 25 years old, was the fifth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Six years into his NBA career, the Oklahoma product has been named an All-Star on three occasions. He’s also led the Hawks to three playoff appearances, including an Eastern Conference Finals run in 2021. However, butting heads with Hawks head coaches and needing a more team-oriented approach, his tenure in Atlanta has been rocky. That’s without even delving into the Hawks’ 183-220 record in the Trae Young Era.
Amid an avalanche of rumors that have painted Young as both trade bait and target, a number of scenarios have emerged as possible should the Hawks part ways with the former fifth overall pick.
Pistons a Perfect Trade Partner for Hawks
The scenarios proposed for a Trae Young trade have primarily seen the Atlanta Hawks engaged with the Los Angeles Lakers or San Antonio Spurs.
In the case of the Lakers, they may be willingly to give up anything on their roster. 4-time NBA champion LeBron James, who will turn 40 years old next season, could be a sign-and-trade candidate this offseason. 30-year-old Anthony Davis could be traded for Young as L.A. looks ahead to the future.
The same all but holds true for the Spurs, whose roster isn’t as talented as the Lakers. Nonetheless, San Antonio would likely be willing to give up any player outside of 2023 No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs also have a horde of first round draft picks to offer the Hawks, including what may very well turn out to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
These hypotheticals present possibilities that range from intriguing to exciting. However, none are the type of deals that would lead to a eureka moment for Hawks general manager Landry Fields. In order for that to occur, Atlanta has to look away from the Western Conference and back towards the East.
Well, towards the Midwest to be exact. The best trade for the Hawks lays not in negotiations with the Lakers or Spurs, but the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons are reluctant to give up a ‘blue chip’ prospect such as Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, and Ausar Thompson. However, if Atlanta is making Young available, Detroit will surely become more willing to surrender one of their own core players. As the Pistons also face questions about the fit of their starting backcourt, this means that even Cunningham may be available.
If that’s the case, the Hawks would be wise to make a move.
Calling Captain Cade
Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, is currently averaging 21.9 points, 7.5 assists, and 0.9 steals per game this season. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, he’s doing so on a career-high 44.6 percent shooting from the field.
A three-level scorer whose craftiness, instincts, and length allow him to be dynamic in this area, Cunningham has been tasked with leading a supporting cast that doesn’t quite fit on paper.
He and second-year guard Jaden Ivey are working on their chemistry. Nonetheless, the spacing on the floor is compromised until the latter earns the opposing team’s respect as an outside shooter. Similar cases can be made for Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren as well. Unfortunately for Detroit, this quartet is comprised of their core players.
Yet, what makes Cunningham available isn’t the core’s strange fit, in and of itself. It’s how the Pistons play while he’s been out of the lineup and Ivey is leading the charge. Detroit is just 8-46 this season but they’re 4-6 in games that Cunningham sits.
The primary reason for the difference is that their offense flows better when Ivey starts, and Cunningham sits. While averaging 15.3 points and 3.6 assists per game this season, Ivey averages 21.5 points and 5.8 assists per game in games without Cunningham this season.
Furthermore, though they’ve recorded an offensive rating of 111.7 this season, their offensive rating was 126.0 or above in three of their four wins without Cunningham.
‘You scratch my back, I scratch yours’
Cade Cunningham has had similar issues to Trae Young with his offensive efficiency and defensive consistency. Both Cunningham and Young’s fit with their current backcourt mates are questioned.
However, where Young’s intangibles have constantly been questioned, Cunningham’s are praised. The questions about Cunningham’s fit beside Jaden Ivey is driven by their outside shooting. Meanwhile, Young is heralded as one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA.
It doesn’t always happen. Yet, the Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons swapping floor generals could be a definitive step towards both teams improving in 2024-25 and beyond.
The Pistons receive an outstanding shot-maker in Young. Young’s ability to facilitate—particularly in finding players around the rim— could truly weaponize players such as Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson. The idea of opposing teams leaving Duren or Thompson to double Young inspires images of reverberating rims.
The Hawks receive a well-rounded floor general in Cunningham. In fact, Cunningham will not only rally the troops on the floor but in the locker room as well. Leadership is an understated skill in the NBA, and the 22-year-old has that in bunches.
On the court, Cunningham figures to be a nice fit beside Dejounte Murray, as neither are so ball-dominant as to step on each other’s toes. With his on-ball ability at 6-foot-6, Cunningham could be utilized beside a number of Atlanta’s top offensive weapons. While this alone doesn’t make him a better fit than Young, it does highlight a difference in the dynamics that are made possible by acquiring Cunningham.
Largely due to his size, Cunningham will be a defensive improvement over Young as well. The Hawks will still need to coach Cunningham up on that end. However, it’s far easier to teach fundamentals and film than to make a player grow several inches.
The Trade
Hawks receive— Cade Cunningham, Evan Fournier, Isaiah Stewart, 2026 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick
Pistons receive— Trae Young, AJ Griffin
The Atlanta Hawks could get away with giving nothing of value besides Trae Young. However, AJ Griffin could find himself on the move as well. The 16th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Griffin fell out of the rotation under Quin Snyder. Yet, considering his play at Duke and the flashes he displayed as a rookie under Nate McMillan, the 20-year-old may be a diamond in the rough.
The Detroit Pistons will center their trade package around Cade Cunningham. Two first-round draft picks will cover for the difference in production and stature between him and Young. Detroit also sends Atlanta veteran wing Evan Fournier and volatile forward Isaiah Stewart.
A 12-year NBA veteran seemingly on his last legs, Fournier is all but out of the NBA. Nonetheless, he’ll have an expiring $19 million contract next season. That will become a roster-building tool that the Hawks can use to facilitate a trade or generate cap relief.
Notably, the summer of 2025 will see players such as Brandon Ingram, Lauri Markkanen, OG Anunoby, and Jamal Murray become unrestricted free agents. In addition, players such as Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, Donovan Mitchell, and Julius Randle could reach free agency by declining their player options for the 2025-26 season.
Stewart was the 16th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. While his temperament will need refining, he provides the efficient 3-point shooting that the Hawks desperately need in the frontcourt. At 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, Stewart is currently shooting a career-high 37.4 percent from deep. Meanwhile, both Jalen Johnson and Saddiq Bey— the latter a free agent this offseason— are shooting below 35 percent from 3 this season.
Making Up the Difference
In the immediate aftermath of the trade, the Atlanta Hawks will need to figure out how to replace the scoring and playmaking left behind by Trae Young. Cade Cunningham, for all his talent, still averages 5.8 fewer points and 3.4 fewer assists per game than Young. Yet rather than looking for any one player to make up the difference, the Hawks should expand the roles of multiple players.
Jalen Johnson, averaging 15.7 points per game in his breakout season, could feasibly score at least 20 points per game with higher usage. Dejounte Murray, who averaged 9.2 assists per game in his All-Star season, could return to a role as lead guard. De’Andre Hunter has averaged 18.7 points per game over Atlanta’s last two postseasons. He may be ready for a bit more responsibility offensively as well.
Meanwhile, they still retain a go-to scorer with a propensity for clutch buckets in Cunningham. A hat that Murray can wear well, and one he can wear more in this iteration of the Hawks.
