3 young stars to trade Anthony Davis for if LeBron James leaves Lakers

Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks

Trae Young is an exceptionally gifted offensive player, and he has been since the day he stepped foot onto an NBA court. This past season he averaged 26.2 points per game and 10.2 assists, with range out to the logo and the exceptional gravity that goes with it.

At the same time, however, the Hawks have disappointed over the past two seasons, sneaking into the playoffs through the Play-In Tournament both times before losing in the first round against superior foes. The Hawks added All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray to pair with Young last offseason, a move that’s really looking like a big miss.

The presence of Murray could allow the Hawks to consider a Young trade, however. That’s where Davis and the Lakers come in. Would the Hawks be open to moving Young for the two-way dominance of Davis? They could start Murray, Bogdan Bogdanovic and DeAndre Hunter around Davis, with plenty of intriguing young talent on the bench.

The Lakers would add Young and likely Onyeka Okongwu in such a deal, resetting their timeline and giving them a marketable star to build around. There would be more work to do to balance the deal out, but it’s undeniable that Young would be a popular player on the Lakers and a major upgrade on D’Angelo Russell.