The Hawks came into the offseason with a massive decision to make, one that would impact their franchise for years to come, and it wasn’t the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.
No, the most considerable domino that had to fall was whether the Hawks would trade Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, or both.
While rumors circulated about the Lakers, Spurs, and Pelicans being interested in both All-Star point guards, there was a previously unknown team that inquired about a potential deal, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
“The Jazz, as previously reported at Yahoo Sports, were looking into trading for Bridges, held conversations with Atlanta about both Dejounte Murray and Trae Young, sources said, and were working to assemble a group around Markkanen that could have possibly drawn George’s eye.”
The Jazz and Hawks made a trade that was essentially a salary dump in the form of John Collins, so there’s a rapport there between the club’s two general managers. There were also reports that Utah declined a trade that centered around Dejounte Murray and Keyonte George.
“There was some talk about Dejounte Murray to the Jazz at the trade deadline, and it was going to cost the Jazz Keyonte George, and the Jazz said no,” Ben Anderson of KSL Sports said.
The Hawks ended up making a trade with the Pelicans, sending Dejounte Murray to New Orleans in exchange for Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, E.J. Liddell, the Lakers’ 2025 first-round pick, and a 2027 first-round pick (least favorable of Milwaukee/New Orleans).
We didn’t know the Jazz inquired about Trae Young, which tells me the Hawks were genuinely weighing the possibility of moving Young and building around Dejounte Murray. If that speculation is accurate, Hawks fans should feel good about the deal Landry Fields got from the Pels, assuming it was the best one Atlanta’s GM was offered.
—
Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.