When the Hawks landed Dejounte Murray two years in the past, he was alleged to be their lacking piece. A defensive guard who may lock down opposing ball-handlers and decrease Trae Younger’s weaknesses on one finish of the ground and a secondary ball-handler who would drive Younger to take part extra within the offense as an off-ball mover on the opposite was precisely what all of us thought the Hawks wanted.
It hasn’t labored out that approach. The Hawks have not received a playoff collection with Murray. He and Younger could not even beat a Jimmy Butler-less Warmth crew within the Play-In spherical final season. The match between the 2 clearly hasn’t labored. If the Hawks may have gotten a good return, they may have traded him on the deadline.
As an alternative, they’re re-evaluating their choices now. So what’s the newest on the Murray commerce entrance? The place would possibly he go? And what are the chances that the Hawks in the end hold him?
Why he is in commerce rumors
The Hawks acquired Murray considering he would take them to the subsequent stage. They’re 72-80 in video games he has performed for them. The minutes he shared with Trae Younger noticed the Hawks outscored by 169 factors final season, the worst plus-minus of any two-man mixture in Atlanta. Murray has averaged over 25 factors per sport and almost 9 assists in video games that Younger has missed since then, however solely 20.4 factors and 5.5 assists with him. This duo doesn’t work. They maintain one another again.
There are some irreparable offensive points at play right here, but it surely hasn’t helped that the Hawks acquired Murray considering he was a star defender when he hasn’t been. Atlanta’s protection was seven factors per 100 possessions higher when Murray was on the bench this season. Murray was an All-Protection decide throughout the 2017-18 season. At that time, he had an estimated plus-minus of +1.8 on protection. This season, he was right down to -1.3. He is declined precipitously, and even when that is a mix of effort and match, it is not what the Hawks thought they have been getting.
Younger has confirmed he may be the offensive catalyst for a contender. Even when it was a one-time incidence, he did get the Hawks to the Jap Convention finals. He additionally has seniority in Atlanta as a participant the Hawks drafted. Buying and selling Younger can be a much more sophisticated course of than giving up Murray. They’ll be damaged up, and in these conditions, the participant extensively believed to be the more serious of the 2 normally winds up getting moved.
Why the Hawks would hold him
Effectively, for starters, their coach wished them to. No less than on the deadline, Quin Snyder reportedly urged the entrance workplace to maintain Murray, in keeping with Marc Stein. He had purpose to. The Hawks went 17-18 with Murray and no Younger over the previous two seasons in comparison with 60-69 after they performed collectively. Murray is larger. He’s extra versatile. Whereas he will not be the higher participant of the 2, he’s the better one to construct a crew round.
He’s additionally far cheaper, and which means an excellent deal within the second-apron world we now stay in. Murray is ready to make solely $114 million over the subsequent 4 seasons, assuming he picks up his 2027-28 participant possibility. That is a cut price. Keep in mind, Jerami Grant will earn greater than him in that span with out ever having made an All-Star crew. Younger, however, will make $89 million over the subsequent two seasons, and if he re-signs, his subsequent contract goes to be considerably greater. Would you moderately have, say, the Twenty fifth-best participant within the NBA for max cash, or the Fortieth-best participant for half of that?Â
The Hawks have been already going through a little bit of a tax crunch for subsequent season, and the No. 1 decide solely makes their roster dearer. They will need to shell out for Jalen Johnson in a rookie extension this offseason. Onyeka Okongwu and De’Andre Hunter already acquired theirs. If the Hawks like the majority of their crew and are solely trying to make one main change, a Younger deal takes them additional than a Murray commerce would.
What locations make sense?
Murray can work on a number of groups, however he is not as simple a match as, say, Mikal Bridges can be. He must play level guard. He must be surrounded by capturing, as a result of whereas he has improved, he nonetheless is not nice from 3-point vary. He would additionally most likely be best-served taking part in on a robust defensive crew. If he can revert to his youthful kind on that finish, nice, but it surely is not one thing a brand new crew can depend on. Listed here are three groups that make some sense.
New Orleans Pelicans: The Pelicans want a degree guard and have been fascinated about Murray in February. In Brandon Ingram, they might ship the Hawks again a high-end wing that will assist steadiness their roster out slightly bit, and such a deal would assist the Pelicans with their impending tax issues (although create new ones for the Hawks if Ingram extends). This is likely one of the simpler player-for-player commerce concepts of the offseason. It fills a necessity for each groups with gamers of comparable stature and age. Each groups have surpluses on the positions they’d be buying and selling from, so one thing with this base would work for either side offered the Hawks plan to stay in win-now mode.Â
Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers regarded right into a Murray commerce on the deadline, however had just one first-round decide to supply. Now they’ve three, probably opening the door for a swap. Murray is represented by Klutch Sports activities, which connects him to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. James would wish to surrender some ball-handling duty to make life simpler on Murray, however it will be simpler for Los Angeles to match his wage than among the max-level guards they’ve additionally been linked to. Murray must enhance defensively again to the place he was as a Spur for this deal to be worthwhile for the Lakers. In any other case, it is solely a slight improve on D’Angelo Russell. But when he may, it will have actual upside for the Lakers.
Brooklyn Nets: The Nets desire a celebrity to pair with Bridges. Their presumed first selection, Donovan Mitchell, would not appear as obtainable as beforehand believed. Murray is a middle-ground possibility. He isn’t a star, however he will not price star costs both. The Nets may seize him whereas retaining the majority of their commerce belongings in an effort to enhance this season whereas courting a real celebrity within the 2025 offseason. Brooklyn badly wants guard assist, so in the event that they’re determined to enhance now, Murray makes some sense as a short-term improve.
What’s the newest reporting?
A lot of the reporting on the Atlanta commerce market has targeted on Younger, however there have been just a few worthwhile nuggets on Murray. The Jazz, as an example, reportedly turned down a suggestion of Murray for younger guard Keyonte George. The Pelicans reportedly think about Murray extra worthwhile than Younger, which is a sentiment that has floated round a number of groups this offseason. Whether or not which means Murray’s worth has grown or Younger’s worth has shrunk is unsure, but it surely appears as if he’ll have an inexpensive market this offseason.