The Los Angeles Lakers are always going to be talked about during trade season, as the team often makes big winter swings to help their team find stability to push for contention in the final few months. After being linked to Zach LaVine for months, Shams Charania has reported that the Lakers are evaluating possible trade offers for Hawks guard Dejounte Murray.
“A potential target for the Lakers is Hawks guard Dejounte Murray. Murray has four years and $120 million of an extension that kicks in next season, so it’s better as a reasonable salary to be bringing in with LeBron James and Anthony Davis already on the books… Any deal the Lakers pursue for star-level players, it’ll have to include names like Austin Reaves and Max Christie.”
Dejounte Murray is a potential trade target for the Los Angeles Lakers, per @ShamsCharania.
🎥 @RunItBackFDTV pic.twitter.com/BcimWKMcnP
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) December 26, 2023
Murray is averaging 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.3 assists on the Hawks this season. The former All-Defensive selection was supposed to be the yin to Trae Young’s yang in Atlanta, but it’s clear that the dual-guard set-up hasn’t worked as well for both players and the team. Murray looks increasingly disengaged, a very worrying sign given the haul of assets the Hawks sent to San Antonio to acquire him in 2022.
Dejounte is locked up for the long haul, so the Hawks have no pressing need to move him this season. The franchise could still make a run to find a play-in spot, but their current record of 12-18 doesn’t bode well for the franchise. Murray could contribute in a win-now situation in LA, but it’s hard to envision a world where D’Angelo Russell can be the primary trade piece that lands the Lakers a player of Murray’s caliber.
What Could The Lakers Give Up For Dejounte Murray?
When we look at the Lakers’ tradeable assets this season, the franchise can only move one first-round pick, which is their 2027 first-round draft pick. They can move at least three picks during the 2024 NBA Draft, as it’ll clear up the future of the last pick they owe to the Pelicans from the Anthony Davis trade, which also lifts Stepien Rule restrictions on other picks.
Murray is a former All-Star and a former All-Defense selection, something the Hawks will value given they also are in a win-now situation. D’Angelo Russell won’t cut the mustard here as the Hawks wouldn’t want another poor defensive scoring guard to pair next to Trae Young. This means the Lakers would have to either send young 3-and-D guard Max Christie or key rotation member Austin Reaves.
Beyond Christie and Reaves, the Hawks may even want someone like Rui Hachimura for his upside and athleticism. That’s a lot of pieces to evaluate, though the Hawks may just be on the market to use Murray as a trade piece for an upgrade. If they’re serious about moving on from Dejounte, they’ll have to maximize the return to make up for the assets they lost when traded for Dejounte from the Spurs.
If the Hawks don’t maximize their return right now, they’re setting themselves up to lose Trae Young in the future, so it’ll be hard for the Lakers to get this deal done for themselves.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
