“OFF SZN bouts to be crazyyyy”: Dejounte Murray is hyped as Atlanta Hawks land first-ever No. 1 pick despite 3% odds
The Atlanta Hawks made NBA history by getting their first No. 1 overall pick since 1975, and Dejounte Murray is feeling some excitement. The Hawks seemed unlikely to get the first pick in the upcoming draft, as the Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards held the best chance with 14%.
After those two teams, seven more franchises had better odds of getting the top pick. However, the ping-pong balls bounced in Atlanta's direction, allowing them to secure the first pick in this year's draft.
Murray was hyped after the Hawks got the first pick as evidenced by his post on X.
"NBA OFF SZN Bouts To Be Crazyyyyyy!!!! Lol," the Hawks guard tweeted.
While it is easy to see why Dejounte Murray would be excited about his team landing the top pick in the 2024 NBA draft, this tweet could also be interpreted in a different way.
Before the 2024 trade deadline, Murray's name was brought up in numerous trade rumors. Not only that, his teammate Trae Young also looked like he was on the trading block for a second.
Murray's tweet could hide some excitement or interest in what the Hawks front office might do with its star players.
Dejounte Murray was linked to trade talks with the Spurs and Lakers
Many believed that the Atlanta Hawks were ready to part ways with one or even both of their All-Stars to start a rebuild. Dejounte Murray and Trae Young were rumored to be on the way out before the trade deadline, but both ultimately remained with the team.
Now that the Hawks have the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, it would be interesting to see if they indeed part ways with either of the two All-Star guards.
Murray has garnered interest from the LA Lakers, who thought they needed an upgrade to the point guard position. The Lakers were reportedly prepared to offer a package for Murray centered around D'Angelo Russell, but nothing ever materialized from these rumors.
Another team that was reportedly interested in acquiring Murray was the same team that traded him to the Hawks, the San Antonio Spurs.
The Spurs moved Murray so he would not get stuck in a team that was in a rebuilding phase as he entered his prime and also to increase their chances of landing Victor Wembanyama. Now that San Antonio has Wemby, it needs a point guard.
The Spurs also have the fourth and the eighth pick in this year's draft, so the Hawks could attempt to include those two picks if either team wants to get serious in their conversations regarding Dejounte Murray's future.
However, it is also worth noting that aside from Murray, Trae Young has also garnered some interest in San Antonio.