Blockbuster new trade proposal sees Atlanta send Dejounte Murray to Brooklyn for huge pick and player package

The Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets were battling (a nice word to use) for the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference this season, but both teams have uncertain futures heading into this offseason. The Hawks are likely looking to move on from backcourt duo Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, they need to figure out who to select with the No. 1 pick, and they need to decide whether players like Clint Capela, Onyeka Okongwu, De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic are part of their future. Brooklyn doesn’t have their own draft picks due to trades made in the past and they have an average team as currently constructed. This is a team that could try to make trades. to put more pieces around Mikal Bridges and try to become a playoff team.

Would the Nets consider trading for Murray this offseason to pair him with Bridges and Nic Claxton (if they re-sign him)? The Nets were rumored to be interested in Murray before the trade deadline and could attempt to re-sign him this summer. Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale proposed a trade for both teams this offseason that sees Murray land in Brooklyn while the Hawks get players and picks in return, including one of their former first-round picks:

Brooklyn Nets receive: Dejounte Murray

Atlanta Hawks receive: Dorian Finney-Smith, Dennis Schröder, Phoenix 2025 first-round pick (top-eight protection; turns into 2028 and 2029 seconds if not conveyed); 2027 first round pick (second most favorable of Brooklyn, Houston, Philadelphia or Phoenix)

There’s a chance the Nets are eager to make a bigger decision than acquiring Dejounte Murray. They won’t control their own first-round pick until 2028, and general manager Sean Marks doesn’t look like someone who wants to guide the franchise through another rebuild.

Then again, there’s also the chance that Brooklyn has no intention of unloading first-round equity. The team’s governor, Joe Tsai, recently spoke about the organization’s intention to take a “longer-term approach.”

Consolidating some, but not all, of the team’s strengths into Murray is a good compromise.

The Nets need a primary ball handler and playmaker. Murray isn’t elite in either category, but he’s an upgrade over everyone else they have and immediately makes life easier on both ends on Mikal Bridges.

Pairing these two fringe stars doesn’t automatically put Brooklyn in contention, but balancing their contracts will preserve future flexibility. Bridges remains a bargain with two years and $48.2 million remaining on his contract. Murray’s four-year, $114 million extension kicks in next season and should age like a fine wine.

Dropping two first players is no small thing. But the Nets are keeping most of their gifts ultra-far from other teams, and this deal becomes easier to accept knowing they would retain their access to more than $60 million in cap space next summer (depending on various other listing decisions).

The Atlanta team ends up being the hardest sell. That’s less than he paid to land Murray. But he gets a plug-and-play combo in Finney-Smith, who could stay on the books at a reasonable cost through 2025-26 ($15.4 million player option) and a usable backup point guard in more fairness in the draft.

Grabbing two first-rounders in years where the Hawks will send their own pick to San Antonio is also a nifty bit of asset management and mapping. Especially when both selections have positives, thanks to the drawbacks of their previous owners. »

This is not a trade I like for the Hawks. Don’t get me wrong, Finney-Smith would help the Hawks defense and he’s a good player, but he’s the only truly valuable piece the Hawks are getting back in this trade. Schroder doesn’t fit this team and while the draft picks are useful, they don’t promise to be high picks. Murray is a valuable trade piece and the Hawks need to get more for him than that.

Last month, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report listed three teams that would be best for Murray if he were to be traded and they included some intriguing, but not new, names:

“The last time Dejounte Murray was the primary point guard and primary ball handler for a full season, he was named to the All-Star team averaging 21.1 points, 9.2 assists, 8 .3 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. He is the only player in NBA history to have posted these averages over a full season.

The Atlanta Hawks traded for Murray in 2022 and moved him to a more off-ball role alongside Trae Young, but it was a failure for everyone involved. The Hawks went 36-46 this season, down seven wins from the year before sending three first-round picks to the San Antonio Spurs for Murray.

Teams in need of a high-level playmaker should be relentless in calling Atlanta this summer. Murray, 27, is entering a four-year, team-friendly extension worth $114 million and is still an elite defender who would thrive if he returned to an on-ball role.

The Hawks should be willing to trade Murray to add better-fitting pieces around Young. A return to the Spurs would make a lot of sense for Murray, and teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic could look to improve their backcourt this summer. »

Best Landing Sites: San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic

I wrote that the Magic would be a natural trade partner with the Hawks because of the defensive players Atlanta could then fit around Trae Young. Orlando needs a point guard who is also a solid defender and a trade between the two teams makes a lot of sense.

The Spurs traded Murray to the Hawks two summers ago, but they still need a true point guard to pair with Victor Wembanyama, who is coming off one of the best rookie seasons of all time. San Antonio might be ready to win sooner than people think and a move to get Murray back would totally make sense. Atlanta could get some of their draft capital back and Murray could go to a place he’s familiar with. He still has admiration for Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.

The Lakers were rumored to be attempting to trade for Murray before this year’s trade deadline. Would Los Angeles want Murray instead of Trae Young? If Atlanta decides to deal Murray and keep Young, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Lakers get involved again.

Another team that hasn’t been mentioned, but probably should be, is the New Orleans Pelicans. Like Orlando, New Orleans needs a point guard and they have the kind of players the Hawks need in return. A deal would make sense for both sides and could even involve Brandon Ingram.

There’s still a way to go before players start being dealt this offseason, but the Hawks will be the center of almost every conversation during what could be a crazy summer.