In the wake of Damian Lillard requesting a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, one NBA writer has proposed that the Atlanta Hawks send Trae Young to Portland for Lillard.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report is proposing that the Hawks trade Young, Jalen Johnson, a 2024 first-round pick, a 2029 first-round pick and two first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030 for Lillard.
“Young, a two-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA honoree, could effortlessly fill Lillard’s shoes in this offense,” Buckley wrote. “Both are pick-and-roll maestros with an array of dribble moves, deep shooting range and the willingness to distribute. If the Blazers want to build around Young—and Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe (but probably not Anfernee Simons)—they could pounce on this package. … Meanwhile, Atlanta could sense that Lillard’s availability is opportunity’s knocking.
“Lillard could arrive as essentially a turbo-charged version of Young, meaning there would be minimal disruption to the system and the chance for this group to hit the ground sprinting.”