The Hawks are widely expected to move one of their All-Star point guards, and a case could be made to deal Trae Young or Dejounte Murray.
On the one hand, Young will certainly fetch more in return while Murray gives the Hawks a bigger, better defensive point guard to build around. On the other hand, a talent like Ice Trae doesn’t come around too often.
If you ask me, which nobody has, this isn’t even a conversation. At 22 years old, Trae Young scored the most points in a Conference Finals debut, racking up 48 points to go along with seven rebounds and 11 assists against the Bucks a few years ago.
Not convinced? Well, he also ranks second to LeBron James scoring the most points in a series win by a player 22 years old or younger. James scored 213 in the 2006 series against the Washington Wizards, while Young scored 203 points against the 76ers in 2021.
A guy taking the NBA by storm named Anthony Edwards comes in behind Young, as he dropped 194 points against the Nuggets. Everyone is ready to crown Ant Man the next face of the NBA, and it’s Trae Young who is ahead of him in the record books.
To me, it’s not even a question of who to build around. The Hawks will certainly have a market for Dejounte Murray, and Bleacher Report believes he’s a realistic trade target for the Heat.
Most of the Hawks trade chatter has revolved around Young, but it’s obviously not the only way for Atlanta to split up its ill-fitting backcourt.
Young seems likely to fetch the bigger haul, but it also seems reasonable to want to continue to build around him long-term. And if Dejounte Murray is made available, he might make more sense for Miami Heat culture than Young.
His defense isn’t on the level it was with the San Antonio Spurs, but Miami could get him back there. And the maximized version of Murray, Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler (assuming he’s still around) could lead a nightmarish defense.
Murray’s playmaking and improved outside shot would also represent an offensive upgrade over last season’s point guard minutes from Kyle Lowry and Terry Rozier.
Dejounte Murray does seem like a fit for the Heat Culture that Pat Riley has established, and he would be an upgrade in every sense of the word over Kyle Lowry and Terry Rozier.
As the primary point guard, Murray is an All-Star who can contribute on both ends of the court. With Trae Young, he couldn’t be the best version of himself, but that wouldn’t be the case in Miami.
Depending on what the Heat offer in exchange, I could certainly talk myself into a deal. However, Riley generally gets the better of other GMs, not the other way around. Landry Fields may be fresh meat in Pat Riley’s eyes.
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Photographer: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
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