NBA Rumors: The possible trade between two superstars at the point guard position

The absence of Trae Young has not slowed down the Atlanta Hawks. On the contrary, the team is going through its best stretch of the season with a record of 7-2 in the last nine games, has climbed to the fourth position in the Eastern Conference, and, since the base's injury—whose defensive fragility has always been an issue—presents the third-best defensive efficiency in the entire NBA.

These stats inevitably raise a question: without a closed contract extension, should Atlanta consider trading Trae Young now that they have a "real test" of what they can do without him? Tim MacMahon (ESPN) recently expressed this in the Hoops Collective podcast: "Let’s see how this works out for several more weeks without Trae and against higher-level opponents." If performance continues, considering a move of this caliber would not be unreasonable.

With that context on the table, an especially striking scenario emerges: a one-for-one exchange between two elite point guards. The proposal, put forward by Eric Pincus (Bleacher Report), would be as follows.

The trade proposal

Atlanta Hawks would receive:
• LaMelo Ball

Charlotte Hornets would receive:
• Trae Young

Moving Trae Young's $46 million salary is no easy task, but a trade for LaMelo Ball would fit almost perfectly. Ball offers a very similar profile as a playmaker and scorer, is three years younger, and, with his 2.01 meters in height, would provide a slight defensive resistance that Young cannot offer.

Pincus points out that, if the operation were to go through, "the Hawks wouldn’t entirely shift their identity since both Young (6'2") and Ball are scoring point guards."

The stats of both players support this idea: Young, a four-time All-Star, averages 25.3 points and 9.8 assists in his eight NBA seasons; Ball, on the other hand, records 21 points and 7.4 assists over his six-year professional career.

The big question: Can LaMelo stay healthy?

If there is an evident risk for Atlanta, it is Ball’s availability. His medical history is extensive, having played an average of only 35 games in the last three seasons. In the current season, he has already missed six out of Charlotte's fourteen games.

From the Hornets’ perspective, Young represents a more reliable profile in terms of continuity: despite his current MCL sprain, he has played over 70 games in three of the last four seasons. In Charlotte, he would also have at his disposal a young core as promising as Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, and Ryan Kalkbrenner to make an immediate competitive leap.

And if Young were to leave in free agency, Pincus points out, the North Carolina franchise would gain significant salary flexibility by freeing up over $40 million.

The Hawks' performance in the upcoming weeks will be crucial. If Atlanta continues to succeed without their franchise player, the idea of entertaining offers for him could go from being just a rumor to becoming a real possibility. The team’s evolution without Young will now be one of the most significant stories to follow in the NBA.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Rumores NBA: El posible intercambio entre dos superestrellas en el puesto de base