Blockbuster Trade Proposal Sends Hawks’ Trae Young To Cavaliers

One NBA analyst proposed that the Cleveland Cavaliers acquire Trae Young from the Atlanta Hawks. 

Ashish Mathur of Hoops Wire proposed the following trade idea between the Cavaliers and Hawks:

Cavaliers receive: Trae Young

Hawks receive: Darius Garland, Dean Wade

Young averaged 25.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 10.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.2 blocks in 2023-24 for the Hawks while shooting 43.0% from the field, 37.3% from beyond the arc and 85.5% from the free-throw line. He recorded 37 double-doubles in 54 games. 

Young signed a five-year, $215 million extension with the Hawks in August 2021. He’ll make $43 million next season.

Young, who turns 26 in September, holds career averages of 25.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.2 blocks. He doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract. 

One of the top scorers and passers in the NBA, Young has not requested a trade from the Hawks, who went only 36-46 in 2023-24 and traded Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans this offseason. 

Garland averaged 18.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.1 blocks last season for the Cavaliers while shooting 44.6% from the field, 37.1% from beyond the arc and 83.4% from the free-throw line. He’ll make $36.7 million next season.

Even though the Cavaliers declined all trade offers for Garland this offseason, some people around the NBA believe Cleveland could move the guard next season. 

Cleveland drafted Garland with the fifth pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The 24-year-old, represented by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group, has career averages of 18.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.1 blocks. 

Wade averaged 5.4 points this past season while shooting 41.4% from the field, 39.1% from beyond the arc and 76.9% from the free-throw line. He’ll make $6.2 million next season. 

The 27-year-old Wade has career averages of 5.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks in 224 NBA games with the Cavaliers. He’s an undrafted player out of Kansas State. 

The Hawks missed the playoffs in 2024, while the Cavaliers lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round in five games. 

Atlanta drafted Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft.