This current iteration of the Atlanta Hawks appears to have run its course. Even after their 109-99 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, they remain seven games below .500 and well out of the top-six picture in the Eastern Conference. Thus, in recent weeks, trade rumors have swirled around the Hawks franchise, with Dejounte Murray being their most prominent name in trade talks.

Seeing Murray in trade talks even though he has only spent one and a half seasons with the Hawks isn't too big of a surprise. His fit with Trae Young was and continues to be iffy, and Atlanta is now trying to recoup the many assets they gave to the Spurs when they acquired him in 2022.

Dejounte Murray has reportedly drawn interest from the likes of the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, but a dark-horse contender for his services in the Spurs has emerged as well. And it seems as though the Hawks guard  is open to the idea of returning to San Antonio especially when his relationship with head coach Gregg Popovich continues to be as rock-solid as it can get.

“Pop is like a father to me, I would welcome that. But right now, I'm a Hawk, I'm going to stay professional and play the right way,” Murray reportedly said on the TNT broadcast as a response to Spurs trade rumors, via Paul Garcia of Project Spurs.

Of course, it's not too surprising as well to see Dejounte Murray look at Gregg Popovich with such fondness. After all, Popovich was the one who helped him gain his footing in the NBA, and it was the Spurs who took a chance on him late in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft — giving him a chance to expand his game as he broke out into an All-Star in 2021.

With the Hawks, Murray has been relegated to being a second-fiddle to Trae Young, and a return to the Spurs should allow him to flourish as the team's lead guard alongside Victor Wembanyama and Devin Vassell. Popovich's father-like familiarity with him should help him round back into All-Star form, but at this point, it may not be in the Spurs' immediate plans to swing a win-now trade given the current state of the team.