The Miami Heat may need more offensive firepower knowing their aspirations. While it may sound a little extreme, one player who could solve all of their problems on that end is Trae Young.
Young may have a new home this offseason, and if the Atlanta Hawks follow through on trading him, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey proposed the following trade that would send him to the Heat.
Heat receive: Young and Kobe Bufkin
Hawks receive: Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Terry Rozier, 2028 first-round pick swap, 2030 first-round pick swap
Bailey explained why Young would fit with what Miami needs.
“For Miami, this would be a talent play. The Heat ranked 21st in offensive rating this season, and Young, despite Despite his shortcomings and the constant criticism he has received over the years, he is still one of the NBA’s most potent offensive weapons.
He went on to say that in the event of a deal, the Heat would need to strengthen their depth, but he appeared confident that they would succeed in doing so.
“The Heat would need to search the undrafted free agent market or free agency to locate depth around Young, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo, but they have experience doing that.”
Aside from their amazing journey to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, Young and the Hawks haven’t enjoyed much success. Young’s $215 million contract will begin its third year. The deal is for five years.
Hawks ‘Open’ to Trading Trae Young: Report
Because the Hawks have underwhelmed after their Eastern Conference Finals run, they could be in for some major changes. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that the Hawks could trade either Young or Murray this offseason.
“There’s a widespread belief among rival executives that the Hawks will break up their backcourt and part with
this offseason, either Dejounte Murray or Trae Young. Moving Young was met with fierce opposition in previous years, but rival executives think Atlanta will be more receptive to the discussion this offseason than in the past.
Young has an impressive resume, having been selected to three All-Star teams and appearing in the NBA All-Star game. The offer that Bailey presents would be a compelling one for Young if he were available. Miami has made several successful transactions, including as acquiring Jimmy Butler and Shaquille O’Neal.
The Heat are out of time with Butler, but the Hawks star has his warts. Young might be able to keep Miami’s time with Butler intact.
Trae Young’s Teammate Called ‘Realistic’ Heat Option
In a May 22 story, Bailey explained why Murray is a realistic option for the Heat.
“He could return to that level with Miami, but his defense isn’t as good as it was with the San Antonio Spurs.” Additionally, if Jimmy Butler is still around, the optimal combination of Murray, Bam Adebayo, and Butler could play a terrifying defense.
“Murray’s playmaking and better outside shooting would also represent an offensive improvement over the minutes that Kyle Lowry and Terry Rozier played at point guard last season.”
The Hawks haven’t performed as they had intended since acquiring Murray. Murray is a good-sized point guard who has made the All-Star team. The mate matchup issue is him. He may have been miscast in the end, even if things haven’t turned out the way he and the Hawks would have liked.
