NBA trade proposal sends Hawks’ Trae Young to Bucks

NBA trade season has a way of connecting dots that don’t always want to be connected.

This one links two franchises staring at very different problems, but circling the same solution.

Sports Illustrated’s Blake Silverman floated a purely hypothetical framework that would send Trae Young from Atlanta to Milwaukee, giving the Bucks a lead guard and giving the Hawks a reset that actually looks like one.

Here’s the structure.

Bucks receive

• Trae Young

Hawks receive

• Kyle Kuzma
• Bobby Portis
• Andre Jackson Jr.
• 2026 first-round pick (least favorable of Milwaukee or New Orleans)

On paper, it checks the basic boxes.

Milwaukee has been searching for another way to maximize Giannis Antetokounmpo after moving on from Damian Lillard last offseason.

Atlanta, meanwhile, has been quietly gathering intel on Young’s market dating back to the summer, with extension talks going nowhere and the organization clearly evaluating next steps.

From the Bucks’ perspective, the appeal is obvious. Young remains one of the league’s best playmakers, even in a down shooting season. Pairing him with Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner creates immediate pick-and-roll pressure, lob threats, and half-court organization that Milwaukee has lacked.

This would be an all-in offensive bet. Young is making $45.9 million this season and can become an unrestricted free agent next summer if he declines his 2026–27 option. The Bucks would be trading depth and flexibility for a defined window around Giannis.

For Atlanta, the logic is more about direction.

Young’s usage, contract timeline, and defensive limitations have all been part of the internal conversation. Kuzma and Portis give the Hawks frontcourt scoring and physicality. Jackson adds a controllable young wing. The pick, while not premium, at least returns some draft equity.

It’s not a home run. It’s a pivot.

And that’s the key distinction here. This is not about whether Atlanta wants to trade Young, or whether Milwaukee will make this kind of move. It’s about how a deal like this aligns incentives.

The Hawks get off the Trae timeline before it forces their hand. The Bucks swing big around Giannis while they still can.

As an actual trade? There are hurdles. Salary mechanics, defensive fit, long-term risk.

As a hypothetical thought exercise? You can see why it keeps coming up.