3 reasons why Atlanta Hawks decided to trade for Dejounte Murray
Three weeks ago, the Atlanta Hawks completed a deal with the San Antonio Spurs for Dejounte Murray.
As part of the deal, the Hawks received Murray and Jock Landale, while the Spurs landed Danilo Galliari, a 2023 first-round pick (via Charlotte from New York, protected), a 2025 first-round pick, a 2026 pick swap and a 2027 first-round pick.
Following the trade, the Hawks have bolstered their roster with an All-Star guard, while the Spurs have officially entered rebuild mode.
The Hawks are sending three first-round picks and a future pick swap to the Spurs to pair Murray with All-NBA guard Trae Young, sources tell ESPN. twitter.com/wojespn/status…
Here are three reasons that led the Hawks to pursue and complete a Dejounte Murray trade.
Defensive improvement
Dejounte Murray has been a terrific two-way player. He has been impressive on both ends since returning from an ACL injury in 2018.
The All-Star guard has been one of the best defensive players in the NBA. He is a great on-and off-ball defender and that's why the Atlanta Hawks wanted to sign him.
“The focus was to improve defensively," Atlanta head coach Nate McMillan recently said, via Soaring Down South. "Bringing in Murray allows us to do that. His length at the guard position will allow him to play against the top wings. He can do a good job of keeping the ball in front. But he can chase as well. That was the thing that we felt we needed to improve on the defensive end of the floor. Offensively, he gives us another weapon that can play with the ball, play without the ball and we love that combination.”
The Hawks were one of the worst defensive teams last season and Murray's arrival will help Atlanta become an above-average squad defensively.
Dejounte Murray will allow Trae Young to play more off the ball and could be the best pairing for the superstar guard
Dejounte Murray has elevated his game offensively over the past three seasons. Since 2019, he has improved his scoring, going from 10 points per game to more than 21.
Last season, he averaged 21.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 9.2 assists and could create a superstar duo with Trae Young.
Murray can spend a lot of time with the ball in his hands, which will allow Young to play off the ball more.
“He’s a two-way player and a guy that plays downhill," McMillan added. "We have, with him in the backcourt with Trae…Trae really wanted us to make that move. We saw that we could get him. Trae really wanted him to be a part of our team. And I told Trae, ’what this is going to do is allow us to play you off the ball a little bit more’. Real similar to [Thomas] and [Joe] Dumars. You got two guards that now can play with the ball, play off the ball. That combination, the fact that he can defend multiple positions, allows us to play faster.”
For his part, Trae Young had nothing but good to say about Murray and believes the All-Star guard can make Atlanta a championship contender.
“I just know what type of player he is," Young said when asked about Murray and why he wanted to team up with him, via Sports Talk Atlanta. "I know what he can bring to our team. I wanna win championships in Atlanta. I think he can ultimately help take us to that level. We’ve been in the playoffs, we’ve been on a run, but I think he can take us to that next level."
Landing Dejounte Murray brings the Atlanta Hawks back into the title picture
Dejounte Murray's arrival puts the Hawks in the title picture again. The Hawks aim to become a top contender next season, and adding an All-Star guard at such a young age looks like the best move.
The pairing of Young and John Collins didn't work out the way the Hawks wanted to, so they decided to land a second superstar next to Young.
Trading for Murray is certainly an upgrade to Atlanta's backcourt and the Hawks now need to make some more offseason moves to further bolster their roster.
Even though they know it will take a while for Trae Young and Dejounte Murray to work on their on-court chemistry, once this happens, their backcourt line will become one of the best in the NBA.