The Atlanta Hawks‘ season is over. The Chicago Bulls handed them a 131-116 loss on Wednesday in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament. As a result, plenty of questions will ensue regarding the future of the Hawks’ franchise. In particular, whether or not they elect to trade one of Trae Young or Dejounte Murray.
The Hawks missed the playoffs after giving the Boston Celtics a frisky six-game series a year ago. But more damning than that has been how poorly Young and Murray have fit together again this season. The pairing simply has not worked. It’s time to move on. The Hawks nearly did just at the trade deadline, but could not find an offer they were looking for. Perhaps they can trade Murray this summer—maybe even to the Los Angeles Lakers or Golden State Warriors.
Los Angeles Lakers
No team was hotter on the Hawks’ tails for Murray at the trade deadline than the Lakers. The two teams talked at length before the deadline and a deal looked like it was going to happen at one point.
Shams with the LATEST on Lakers/Hawks Dejounte Murray noise:
• expects Lakers/Hawks to talk again
• it’s not the end of those conversations
• things are fluid(via @RunItBackFDTV) pic.twitter.com/DTXUm0Oe8V
— Witness King James (@WITNESSKJ) February 7, 2024
That trade did not work out, but depending on what happens with the Lakers in the offseason, perhaps they can revisit those talks. What could help Los Angeles with trade negotiations for Murray is the fact that they will have more first-round picks to trade in the summer than they did at the deadline.
Because the New Orleans Pelicans control whether or not they want the Lakers’ first-round pick this year or next year, Rob Pelinka and the front office could not deal that pick at the deadline. They will be able to at the draft if New Orleans chooses next year’s Lakers pick.
Los Angeles will have two more firsts they can trade along with that pick. They can also send their first-round pick from last year (Jalen Hood-Schifino) in that deal, too. Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent’s contracts could make the money work.
If the Hawks want to move on from the Young-Murray backcourt, they will have the option to do so with the Lakers as a potential trade partner.
Golden State Warriors
The Lakers stand out as a potential trade partner for the Hawks. But there may not be a competitive team more desperate for an upgrade than the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors missed the playoffs for the second time in four seasons after falling to the Sacramento Kings in the bottom half of the Western Conference Play-In Tournament on Tuesday.
Something is going to have to give with the Warriors this offseason. Young players like Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis stepped up this season and were able to carve out meaningful roles while helping the team win games. But Golden State’s current core hasn’t been able to prove it is championship-quality over the last two seasons. This season was especially tough, with Steve Kerr constantly sifting through lineup combinations in hopes that something would stick.
Perhaps most glaring on Golden State’s roster is the lack of another consistent perimeter shot creator alongside Stephen Curry. That was never Klay Thompson’s strength even at the peak of his powers, let alone in his current state. Chris Paul is best served as a backup at this stage of his career, and may not return to the Bay as owner Joe Lacob looks to cut salary. Podziemski is best-suited as a secondary creator.
Murray would likely take some time to acclimate to the Warriors’ read-and-react offense and how much everyone moves off the ball. He’d be asked to do some of that, too. But because Curry is such a good shooter and unselfish player off the ball, the fit between he and Murray would be cleaner than it has been with Young.
Golden State owes future first-round picks to the Portland Trail Blazers and the Washington Wizards. Other than that, they have plenty of firsts to spend along with intriguing young players. They also have a lot of money in non-guaranteed contracts to Paul and Kevon Looney that could make the money work.
If the Warriors are still invested in making the most of Curry’s window, they should be involved in the Murray sweepstakes.
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