Despite Deni Avdija's ascension, the Portland Trail Blazers still need more star power to contend out west. If they want to add a co-star for Avdija by the Feb. 5 trade deadline, there's no more readily available option than Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young.
Following the news that Atlanta is working with Young to find him a new landing spot, ESPN's NBA insiders proposed four Trae Young trade ideas. One pitch sends him to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Here is the deal in full:
Portland's true building blocks are starting to take shape with Avdija, Toumani Camara, Shaedon Sharpe, and Donovan Clingan. Going forward, their biggest question mark lies at the point guard position. Unfortunately, they haven't gained any much-needed clarity in that regard this season, with Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday, Blake Wesley, and of course, Damian Lillard, all currently sidelined with injuries.
However, thanks to Avdija, they've been able to stay afloat, ranking 9th in the Western Conference with a 17-20 record. The Blazers have an active four-year postseason drought they could hope to end, especially with new ownership on the horizon. If that's the case, adding someone like Young, as polarizing as he may be, would help them achieve that short-term goal.
Should the Trail Blazers pursue Trae Young?
His impact on winning is certainly debatable. The Hawks have a significantly better record this season when he's been out, which is why they're exploring trade options. But this moreso has more to do with how much the Blazers are currently hurting in the backcourt. Their situation has gotten so dire that we even recently suggested they bring in a washed 40-year-old Chris Paul as a band-aid solution!
Offensively, Young would at least help take some of the playmaking burden off of Avdija while providing floor spacing for one of the worst shooting teams in the league. His contract is problematic: he's owed $46 million this season with a $49 million player option in 2026-27. But is that really that much worse than Jerami Grant's deal?
Portland's forward may be cheaper at $32 million this season, but he's also on the books for one more year than Young. With Avdija's team-friendly contract set to expire after the 2027-28 season, Portland could be willing to take on more money upfront if it means having more flexibility later on to renegotiate and extend Avdija.
While we don't love the Young fit for Portland, this wouldn't be the type of trade that drastically sets back their rebuild. They don't surrender any draft capital, while Williams and Grant are very neutral assets.
That's why we ultimately think this deal wouldn't go through. Atlanta has a history of avoiding the luxury tax and would likely prefer sending Young to a team like the Washington Wizards, where they can get back CJ McCollum's expiring salary rather than Grant's lengthy, overpaid contract. Attaching draft capital could change the equation for Atlanta, but Young's imperfect fit makes Portland hang up in that scenario.
All things considered, taking on Young for Grant and Williams would be a relatively low-risk move to salvage the Blazers' season. But if Atlanta wants any additional assets that are more significant in return, Portland would be better off patiently waiting for its backcourt crisis to resolve itself.
Grade: C+