Blockbuster new three-team trade proposal sends Murray to Spurs, Bucks lose salary, H

Tomorrow, all eyes will be on the Atlanta Hawks at the top of the draft. But what happens next? Whether the Hawks draft Zacharie Risacher, Donovan Clingan, Alex Sarr or someone completely unexpected, the question of Atlanta’s backcourt remains relevant.

The simple fact is that Trae Young and Dejounte Murray’s skills overlap rather than complement each other. Even if the front office has a choice to make between them, it seems an obvious one. Trading Trae Young means sacrificing a proven playoff scorer and reliable offensive engine who elevates those around him. Let’s not forget that the Hawks finished in the top 10 in offensive rating in four straight seasons with Young at the helm.

That’s not to say Dejounte doesn’t have value. Even though his defense has declined in recent seasons, he is still able to create his own shot and space the floor. It’s for this reason that San Antonio would have been interested in bringing their former first-round pick back to the Alamo City. Recently, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony mentioned that the Spurs could take a more patient approach in his latest mock draft.

“The Spurs are telling rival teams they will take a best-player-available approach to the No. 4 and No. 8 picks despite their backcourt needs and lack of shooting and playmaking – areas they will need to address in San Antonio’s strategy appears to be patient at this point, as there are many scenarios in which more attractive options would become available in the near future.

Aside from Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama, no one else is guaranteed to make the Spurs roster. Getting players who maximize Wembanyama needs to be their priority this offseason. Reacquiring Murray is a step in that direction – no other realistic acquisition brings his combination of ball-handling, mid-range shooting, defensive tools and three-point shooting. Previous proposals sent Murray back to San Antonio in a simple two-team trade where Atlanta gets back some of the draft capital it sent for Murray in 2022.

At first glance, this doesn’t seem like a situation the Milwaukee Bucks could be involved in. The Bucks are currently projected to be a “second apron” team, meaning their salaries currently exceed the second apron of the salary cap. As a result, they would be subject to these rules, according to Sam Quinn of CBS Sports.

Avoiding the second apron is likely the main motivation behind their stated interest in Brook Lopez Mall. Lopez’s ability to shoot threes and protect the rim next to Giannis has been key for the Bucks over the past few seasons. Without him, they likely won’t win the 2021 NBA championship. However, tough decisions will have to be made in order to avoid the punishing restrictions listed above and make some improvements to the roster. The Bucks have reportedly already shopped Lopez, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Fischer had this to say about center availability in a trade.

“League staff told Yahoo Sports that the Bucks were ready to reshape their roster and that they were evaluating Brook Lopez’s trade value. Houston, according to sources, warned Lopez that his re-signing with Milwaukee could very well lead to his trade when the Rockets pursued Lopez in free agency a year ago.”

Since the Bucks want to avoid that threshold, the Hawks want to get rid of Murray and the Spurs want talent around Wembanyama, what if those teams all participate in a three-team deal?

It should be noted that this is simply a fun, speculative exercise to see what types of moves can be made, not what I think a team should absolutely do. That’s all.

Here are the terms of the exchange:

Hawks get: Devonte Graham, Pat Connaughton, 2025 first round (via Atlanta)

Spurs get: Dejounte Murray, Brook Lopez, DeAndre Hunter, 2024 1st round (via Milwaukee), 2024 2nd round (via Milwaukee)

Bucks Obtained: Keldon Johnson, 2025 Round 2

It should be noted that this trade is expected to be halted on draft night, as Milwaukee cannot trade the pick before then. However, I think every team would come out of this in a better situation.

The Hawks are definitely losing out in terms of player acquisition. Graham was a veteran who didn’t play much for the Spurs. Even so, his salary expires and could easily be waived or outright bought out if the Hawks wanted. Pat Connaughton didn’t have a great year for Milwaukee, but was able to get some of the shooting back that made him a valuable bench shooter for the Bucks. Again, his salary is manageable ($9.4 million in 2024-25) and doesn’t preclude the Hawks from future moves. Atlanta’s motivation is to get one of its first-round picks back and free up salary by moving Hunter and Murray.

The Spurs would come out of this trade with a roster capable of making the playoffs next year. Vassell has proven that he is capable of being a good off-ball player. His skills complement Murray’s in a way that Young does not. Murray would be free to run the offense and pitch as the team’s second or third option, depending on the night. Hunter is an easy replacement for Keldon Johnson, who would be sent to Milwaukee in this deal. Although he struggles with injuries, he remains a good perimeter defender who shoots 39% on five attempts per game. The Hawks’ interest in Risaccher and Jalen Johnson’s growth suggest Hunter will rarely start games for Atlanta. Paying a salary of over $20 million for a sixth man just isn’t the best use of resources. In San Antonio, he would likely start alongside Jeremy Sochan and give Wembanyama even more space to operate.

Brook Lopez is an expensive option at backup center, but I’m intrigued by the promise of a Murray-Vassell-Hunter-Wembanyama-Lopez lineup. Lopez is a real threat from beyond the arc, so he won’t clog spacing. He’s already shown the ability to thrive alongside a big like Giannis and Wembanyama is in a similar mold of player – albeit less strong. Even though his $23 million salary is high, this is an expiring contract.

As previously mentioned, the Bucks would be safe under the second apron with this move and gain a rotation player in Keldon Johnson. The Spurs would replace Johnson with Hunter. Granted, those skills could be a bust and Johnson has an inferior contract. However, San Antonio getting two more picks could be enough incentive to get rid of Johnson. He projects to be a high-end sixth man who plays with a good motor. Last year, he scored 15.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists on 45% from the field and 35% from three. The Bucks should dedicate every asset they have to going all-in on top of Giannis and Johnson would be a very useful piece for them.

This would be a pretty big deal on draft day, so it’s pretty unlikely. However, I think each team fills a primary need with this trade. It’s a tough return for Hawks fans to swallow, but it gives the team plenty of flexibility to optimize the roster around Trae Young, Jalen Johnson and the future No. 1 overall pick.