With the start of NBA free agency right around the corner, the Atlanta Hawks have made one of the first big moves of the summer.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Hawks are trading for San Antonio point guard Dejounte Murray in exchange for a package that includes Danilo Gallinari and three first-round picks.
(via ESPN):
The Atlanta Hawks are trading forward Danilo Gallinari and three first-round picks to the San Antonio Spurs for All-Star guard Dejounte Murray, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Hawks are sending a 2023 first-round pick via the Charlotte Hornets, and their own 2025 and 2027 first-round picks to the Spurs in the deal, sources told Wojnarowski. The deal also includes a pick swap in 2026, the sources said.
The trade gives the Hawks a formidable backcourt with Murray joining All-NBA guard Trae Young.
Sources: The Spurs are trading Dejounte Murray to Atlanta for Danilo Gallinari, three first-round draft picks and a draft swap.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2022
With Trae Young, John Collins, and now Dejounte Murray, the Hawks have a solid foundation of young stars that will keep them competitive for years to come.
Just two seasons ago, they made a run to the Conference Finals before eventually losing in a hard-fought battle to the clearly superior Milwaukee Bucks. This past campaign only ended in more pain after a first-round elimination to the Miami Heat.
So it’s really no surprise that Atlanta is going all-in on building a contender and Murray could be the key that unlocks their true potential. During the 2021-22 season, he averaged 21.2 points, 9.2 assists, and 8.3 rebounds per game on 46.2% shooting. He led the Spurs to the 10th seed in the West.
Until the season starts, and we can see the new-look Hawks for ourselves, there is no telling how good this team will be. In truth, we don’t even know what the final roster will look like come October.
But it’s clear that the Hawks aren’t messing in their pursuit of a title. With Trae Young entering his prime, the time is now to take advantage of all he brings to the table.
