The Hawks have a monumental decision to make tomorrow night with the NBA Draft.
Landry Fields is still seemingly working the phones for potential trades, but it’s clear Atlanta’s GM is comfortable making the pick if a deal doesn’t come to fruition. Alex Sarr, Donovan Clingan, and Zaccharie Risacher seem to be the group that the Hawks will be picking from.
However, the bigger domino may be whether the Hawks trade Dejounte Murray or Trae Young. As soon as the NBA Draft is over, everyone’s attention in Atlanta will turn to which All-Star point guard they trade.
Most believe it will be Murray, who is already being linked to trade rumors. Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports brought up the Hawks and Lakers conversations during February’s trade deadline, mentioning Los Angeles’ No. 17 pick in this year’s draft.
“Los Angeles has also made that No. 17 selection available via trade, sources said, as the Lakers have evaluated the market for a significant contributor alongside James and Davis. The Lakers, remember, held serious talks with Atlanta about acquiring Dejounte Murray in the lead-up to February’s trade deadline,” Fischer wrote.
He’s not the only insider either. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer added that the Lakers could be a landing spot for not only Murray but also Clint Capela.
“If Murray is L.A.’s target, then it’d be easier to match salaries in a trade for him before his contract extension kicks in on July 1. And if the Lakers are looking for a center to allow AD to play power forward more frequently, then perhaps there’s a deal to be done for both Murray and Clint Capela, who is being shopped around by the Hawks, according to league sources,” O’Connor wrote.
The question that O’Connor posed: Would Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, and Russell plus picks get it done? The answer? HELL NO.
The Hawks are expected to move Capela this year, but Murray is the real catch. The All-Star point guard averaged 22.5 points, 6.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 78 games while the veteran center averaged 11.5 points and 10.6 rebounds in 73 games.
The Lakers would almost certainly have to come off of Austin Reaves if they want Dejounte Murray, and even then, I’m not sure the Hawks should take that offer seriously. The trade market landscape certainly matters, but given Murray’s contract, two-way ability, and improved shooting from deep, the Hawks should be able to get more.
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Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
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