NBA Rumors: Hawks Could Pair Trae Young With Bradley Beal If They Win No. 1 Pick In 2020 NBA Draft
In just two seasons of playing, Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young has already blossomed into an All-Star-caliber talent in the league. However, despite his explosive performances on most nights, the Hawks might need to surround Young with more star power in order to have a realistic chance of becoming a contender in the Eastern Conference One of the dream targets for the Hawks in the 2020 offseason could be Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards.
After finishing the 2019-20 NBA season as one of the worst teams in the league, the Hawks have a chance of securing the top pick in this year’s draft. If they get the No. 1 pick, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report believes that the Hawks should explore using it as the main trade chip to acquire Beal from the Wizards. In the proposed trade scenario, Atlanta would be sending a package that includes John Collins, Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish, Dewayne Dedmon, and the No. 1 pick to the Wizards in exchange for Beal.
“A trade for Beal would give the Hawks two of the top four scorers in the NBA this season; he and Young combined for 59.6 points per game. Defense would obviously be an issue, but Clint Capela is a proven rim protector, and keeping De’Andre Hunter would give Atlanta a versatile forward who can defend multiple positions. A core of Young, Beal, Hunter and Capela would create a rising playoff team in the East, and Atlanta would still have significant cap space to add more talent in free agency.”
Beal would likely be an incredible addition to the Hawks, giving Young a talented backcourt partner next season. With the years he spent with John Wall in Washington, he might not have a hard time building chemistry with Young in Atlanta. Beal is one of the few superstars in the league who is capable of excelling in an off-ball capacity, making him an ideal fit alongside a ball-dominant player like Young.
Beal may not have shown signs that he’s no longer happy with the Wizards, but with their current state, he might be better of starting a new journey somewhere else. His arrival in Atlanta may not be enough to make them an instant title contender in the Eastern Conference, but it could strengthen their chances of ending their playoff drought next year.
If they finally decide to face the inevitable, the proposed deal could also be good for the Wizards. They would not only be acquiring a potential replacement for Beal by drafting Georgia Bulldogs star Anthony Edwards, but they would also receive three young and promising talents in Collins, Huerter, and Reddish. These three could join forces with Rui Hachimura to form the core of the next title-contending team that they will try to build in Washington.
