The team that has been referenced the most in trade rumors has not made any moves as the NBA trade deadline approaches. For the past few months, there have been trade speculations around the Atlanta Hawks, but despite their declining record, Atlanta has not taken any action. That’s not to say they won’t, but no agreement has been reached as of yet.
The Los Angeles Lakers are the franchise that has been touted most frequently as a potential destination for Hawks guard Dejounte Murray. In addition to Anthony Davis and LeBron James, the Lakers have been searching for upgrades, and Murray makes sense in many ways. The Hawks’ alleged unwillingness to return Lakers player D’Angelo Russell has been the obstacle, but it is resolved in a recently proposed three-team deal by ESPN NBA expert Kevin Pelton:
Murray and the Lakers are a natural fit. The greatest player the Lakers could conceivably add before the trade deadline is this Klutch client. The Lakers’ matching salary is the main sticking point. Although Russell’s salary is almost the same, the Hawks would prefer that he not activate his $18.7 million player option since it would keep them from being able to sign restricted free agent Saddiq Bey again without incurring luxury tax.
The Nets could be able to bring Russell back to help their struggling offense. Russell played for a youthful Brooklyn club that was very comparable to the current squad when he made his lone All-Star appearance. Russell would be a huge offensive upgrade for the Nets, who can easily handle his 2024–25 player option, especially with Dinwiddie struggling this season. Due to Dinwiddie’s contract’s last season, Atlanta has the option of letting him walk into unrestricted free agency or re-sign him to a lower deal using Bird rights.”
This might be a profitable trade. The Hawks take on an expiring salary in exchange for what may be an unprotected pick, the Lakers acquire their star, and Brooklyn gets Russell back. There have been other suitors, so that may be the most the Hawks can accomplish in terms of a Murray deal. The Hawks apparently paid a very high amount for Murray:
In an attempt to turn things around, the Milwaukee Bucks decided to replace first-year head coach Adrian Griffin last week and quickly hired Doc Rivers, the head coach of the former Boston Celtics, Clippers, and 76ers.
Yahoo! Sports Jake Fischer went into detail on Griffin’s fall from grace as well as Milwaukee’s issues and potential solutions. Murray was brought up by Fischer when discussing potential trade targets for the Bucks. In reference to the Bucks’ possible interest in Murray, Fischer provided the following breakdown of the price the Hawks are seeking for Murray:
“A deal highlighted by the No. 35 pick probably isn’t going to strike Atlanta’s fancy for Murray, considering the Hawks, at present, are searching for a pair of first-round picks plus a starting-level player for their All-Star combo guard, league sources told Yahoo Sports.”
If Murray is traded, which looks to be the direction things are still going, it will be interesting to see what the real return will be. Watch this one closely going forward.
