Hawks looking to trade

[NBASupes]

11 minutes ago, mountainjim said:

The Athletic full of articles undervaluing DM and how the Hawks should be all about helping the big market teams

 

NBA trade board 2024: Everything to know about 50 players on the market - The Athletic

 

The Hawks clearly want to make some changes, and moving Murray represents the most substantive one they could make this season. The backcourt combination of Trae Young and Murray has not worked as well as the Hawks expected when they traded three first-round picks and a pick swap to acquire Murray from San Antonio. Atlanta’s hope was that pairing Young with a bigger, defensively conscious, playmaking guard like Murray would allow Young to thrive on or off the ball and would stop the Hawks from hemorrhaging points when he left the floor. Murray, who was coming off an All-Star season, was an intriguing bet.

Ultimately, it’s become clear the Hawks should want the ball in Young’s hands as much as possible. While Murray has made strides as a 3-point shooter — he’s hitting 39 percent on six attempts per game this season — he’s not as impactful off the ball as he is on it, which has diminished his overall impact. Additionally, Murray’s strong defense has taken a dive from its previous heights in San Antonio, when he was an All-Defense-level performer. He still gets steals occasionally but hasn’t been quite as engaged off the ball this season. Any team acquiring Murray is doing so in large part because it believes his play on that end rebounds.

Murray signed a four-year, $114 million extension this summer with a player option in 2027, meaning he’s locked in for the long term. If he gets back to his prior defensive heights upon leaving his current messy situation in Atlanta, his average annual value of about $28 million is a reasonable price tag. But any team acquiring him should probably do so with an eye toward returning him to the lead guard spot.

Trade value

First-round pick and a prospect

 

 

Best fits

Lakers, Warriors, Heat, Nets, Knicks, Magic, Pelicans

 

 

 

LeBron’s voice looms large when assessing a potential Dejounte Murray-Lakers deal - The Athletic

But with two days left before the Thursday deadline (3 p.m. Eastern), and with the chance remaining that the fireworks might go off here at the end, there’s at least one high-profile scenario still on the board worth examining from all sides: Dejounte Murray to the Lakers. And with all due respect to the involved parties, from the Hawks front office that has so much to ponder here to the Lakers side that was so widely celebrated when it had a fantastic trade deadline performance around this time a year ago, the widespread intrigue here revolves around one man: LeBron James.

While the 39-year-old has not publicly campaigned for the Murray deal in the way he did for Anthony Davis in 2018, he has been sending all sorts of signals lately that he would like the Lakers to do something of significance. Add in that James can become a free agent in fewer than five months from now, and it’s not hard to understand why there’s so much spotlight on this situation at the moment. With that in mind, let’s unpack how they all got here and whether this is a deal that should get done.

Hawks-Lakers talks

As our Lakers beat writer, Jovan Buha, detailed here, the Lakers’ trade talks with Atlanta have continued in recent weeks. The holdup, as has been widely reported for quite some time, is the Hawks’ clear disinterest in taking back D’Angelo Russell and the need for a different landing spot for the Lakers guard as a result (Brooklyn is routinely highlighted by league sources as a Russell candidate here). The Hawks are known to covet Austin Reaves, whom the Lakers have no interest in giving up. The Lakers, per Buha, have offered Russell, rookie guard (and 17th pick) Jalen Hood-Schifino, the 2029 first-round pick (preferably protected) and additional draft compensation.

As for the contracts, here’s how they break down.

Russell: Owed $17.3 million this season, with a player option worth $18.6 million in 2024-25.
Murray: Signed through the 2026-27 campaign, with a player option worth $31.6 million in 2027-28. If he picked up that option, the lump sum owed from this season to the end of 2027-28 is $132.5 million. Murray, like James and fellow Lakers star Anthony Davis, is represented by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.

...

 

The Hawks and the Murray calculus

It’s been 20 months since the previous Hawks front-office regime succumbed to ownership pressure and did the Murray deal with the San Antonio Spurs that cost them three first-rounders, a first-round pick swap and Danilo Gallinari. They were one year removed from an East finals appearance at the time, with organizational aspirations of title contention if they could find the right star to pair alongside franchise centerpiece Trae Young.

But as we’ve seen since, with the Hawks getting bounced in the first round of the playoffs in consecutive years and now sitting 10th in the East (22-28), even after a recent four-game winning streak, this clearly wasn’t the move to make back then. And the 25-year-old Young, who is the only player in the league averaging at least 27 points and 10 assists and was named an All-Star for the third time on Tuesday, hasn’t gotten any … younger in the process.

As Marc Stein reported recently, and which was confirmed by a league source to The Athletic, second-year Hawks coach Quin Snyder is known to be advocating for the Hawks to hold onto Murray. That sort of prominent voice is certainly enough to split the room, so to speak, when a particular trade is being analyzed.

What’s more, the Hawks’ front office, which is now led by general manager Landry Fields, added another key figure recently who is surely weighing in on the conversation. Chris Grant, the former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager who worked with Fields in recent years while with the Spurs, was added by Atlanta as an executive adviser in mid-January.

The challenge here for the Hawks, it seems, is that doing this deal without Reaves would do very little to help their chances of winning now. There is value in recouping some of the assets lost in the trade to land Murray, but one first-rounder (and perhaps a first-round swap and/or second-rounders) pales in comparison to what they gave up to get him in 2022.

The question, then, is whether they decide to forge ahead with this flawed roster while waiting until this summer to revisit the Murray market. Young is signed through the 2026-27 campaign, which lessens the pressure a bit when it comes to their star player politics. They’re only 5 1/2 games out of the sixth spot in the East (and the chance to avoid the Play-In Tournament), with recent wins over the Raptors, Lakers, Suns and Warriors (not to mention a close loss Monday night to the red-hot Clippers) showing signs of promise. And considering the way Murray has played of late, waiting this out might be the right move for the Hawks.

(

 

a typical Laker fan comment

You've got a nice offensive player in Austin Reaves on a cheap contract. Why not part with Reaves and ask for Murray + Bogdanovic + other rotation players? You get a roughly equivalent 3rd guy and significantly bolster the tail end of your rotation. Bron may not want to lose Reaves, but he isn't going to throw a fit about a trade like that. WCF is still probably the ceiling for that team if we're honest.

 

Ya'll really give the media too much love. They don't like us and never will. To the world, we are a feeder team here to make teams like the Lakers and other big market teams look good. 

6 minutes ago, kg01 said:

My guy Caruso out here worth like 12 1sts but Murray can getchoo.... maybe a couple dollars off at Denny's?

Make it make less nonsense. 

Which one plays for the Atlanta Hawks 

[AHF]

Just now, NBASupes said:

Ya'll really give the media too much love. They don't like us and never will. To the world, we are a feeder team here to make teams like the Lakers and other big market teams look good. 

Which one plays for the Atlanta Hawks 

Sad but true and predictable for the media.  Treat the Hawks like second class citizens.

[kg01]

Just now, NBASupes said:

Which one plays for the Atlanta Hawks 

Eggsactly my point.

You still owe me your list of preferred fan sites to be traded to, btw.  We owe you that much. 

[JayBirdHawk]

1 minute ago, AHF said:

Sad but true and predictable for the media.  Treat the Hawks like second class citizens.

Also doesn't help when our perception is 'looking to stay out of tax' trading talent fir expirings or nothing.

[NBASupes]

1 minute ago, AHF said:

Sad but true and predictable for the media.  Treat the Hawks like second class citizens.

It's disgusting but this has always happened to the Hawks. This is not new. 

[Final_quest]

The media's job is to increase clicks/views so they can sell more ads.  Continually selling stories about the Laker's next big trade is what makes them money. 

In some ways it's nothing personal just business.  Not sure they "hate the Hawks".  

[JayBirdHawk]

1 minute ago, Final_quest said:

In some ways it's nothing personal just business.  Not sure they "hate the Hawks".  

Maybe not hate per se....but always after thoughts.

Why aren't we the ones making trades to get better vs making the other team better. 

[NBASupes]

2 minutes ago, Final_quest said:

The media's job is to increase clicks/views so they can sell more ads.  Continually selling stories about the Laker's next big trade is what makes them money. 

In some ways it's nothing personal just business.  Not sure they "hate the Hawks".  

Pretty much this. 

[AHF]

Just now, Final_quest said:

The media's job is to increase clicks/views so they can sell more ads.  Continually selling stories about the Laker's next big trade is what makes them money. 

100% agree

Quote

In some ways it's nothing personal just business.  Not sure they "hate the Hawks".  

Because there is a consistent through line of disrespect towards the team and its players.  It is seen not just in the usual lopsided trade proposals to big market teams but also in the articles about possible All-Star selections that don't even mention Trae as a possibility or disregard him in a couple words while waxing poetic on other players (including ones from smaller markets than Atlanta), etc.  If they ran an article tomorrow about potential playoff teams would it surprise you at all if they included a section on Brooklyn or Toronto while omitting any discussion of Atlanta despite Atlanta having made the playoffs 3 consecutive seasons and being in the play-in right now? 

[NBASupes]

7 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Also doesn't help when our perception is 'looking to stay out of tax' trading talent fir expirings or nothing.

Your perception is your reality. We did spend previous years running from the LT. The JC trade really hurt our footing. 

[Hawkish]

17 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

Your perception is your reality. We did spend previous years running from the LT. The JC trade really hurt our footing. 

Maybe the FO will surprise with a TPE trade.  
 

Which teams do you think will want to cut payroll?

[NBASupes]

8 minutes ago, Hawkish said:

Maybe the FO will surprise with a TPE trade.  
 

Which teams do you think will want to cut payroll?

There is really nothing out there for that.

[mountainjim]

I earlier posted a reply to one of those Laker fans comments in the Athletic article:

Quote

Jake S. You are overvaluing Reaves and treating Atlanta like it's a Lakers farm club - BS!

 

Edited February 7 by mountainjim

[NBASupes]

35 minutes ago, AHF said:

100% agree

Because there is a consistent through line of disrespect towards the team and its players.  It is seen not just in the usual lopsided trade proposals to big market teams but also in the articles about possible All-Star selections that don't even mention Trae as a possibility or disregard him in a couple words while waxing poetic on other players (including ones from smaller markets than Atlanta), etc.  If they ran an article tomorrow about potential playoff teams would it surprise you at all if they included a section on Brooklyn or Toronto while omitting any discussion of Atlanta despite Atlanta having made the playoffs 3 consecutive seasons and being in the play-in right now? 

Tremendous explanation 

[Jody23]

Some of the smoke out there is starting to stink.  Murray is listed as questionable tonight with "low back tightness".

[Hawkish]

10 minutes ago, mountainjim said:

I earlier posted a reply to one of those Laker fans comments in the Athletic article:

 

Well put, Jake from State Farm.  

[theheroatl]

as trade deadline approaches teams get desperate.. if somebody throws a whopper at us we'll take it - 3 FRP and a starting player.. I could see the Jazz doing it if they don't want to re-sign Markkenen to mess up their rebuild timeline.

Lauri for DJ plus Sac 24

 

Remember Jazz don't have a '24 pick as it stands right now
 

Edited February 7 by theheroatl

[Final_quest]

39 minutes ago, AHF said:

100% agree

Because there is a consistent through line of disrespect towards the team and its players.  It is seen not just in the usual lopsided trade proposals to big market teams but also in the articles about possible All-Star selections that don't even mention Trae as a possibility or disregard him in a couple words while waxing poetic on other players (including ones from smaller markets than Atlanta), etc.  If they ran an article tomorrow about potential playoff teams would it surprise you at all if they included a section on Brooklyn or Toronto while omitting any discussion of Atlanta despite Atlanta having made the playoffs 3 consecutive seasons and being in the play-in right now? 

Some of this is unique to Trae.  Joe Johnson, Al Horford, and the 60 win team never got that treatment.  

Trae gets unfair publicity, but I think Atlanta isn’t the root cause of that.  

Atlanta the franchise does get a few knocks that are unusual, but Trae seems to be a unique case on his own.  

[Hawkish]

11 minutes ago, theheroatl said:

as trade deadline approaches teams get desperate.. if somebody throws a whopper at us we'll take it - 3 FRP and a starting player.. I could see the Jazz doing it if they don't want to re-sign Markkenen to mess up their rebuild timeline.

Lauri for DJ plus Sac 24

 

Remember Jazz don't have a '24 pick as it stands right now
 

We do that trade yesterday.  Trae would get Lauri so many good looks.  Add Simone for Utah and we add AJ…

 

10 minutes ago, Final_quest said:

Some of this is unique to Trae.  Joe Johnson, Al Horford, and the 60 win team never got that treatment.  

Trae gets unfair publicity, but I think Atlanta isn’t the root cause of that.  

Atlanta the franchise does get a few knocks that are unusual, but Trae seems to be a unique case on his own.  

Some of the publicity Trae has brought upon himself 

[terrell]

21 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

There were no restrictions on when AJ could be traded, so I don't buy the injury risk.

Gotta have a partner.. They saw the crazy tweets too.. lol