The Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans made one of the biggest trades of the off-season. Dejounte Murray went from the Hawks to the Pelicans in a blockbuster trade and is set to make his return to Atlanta on December 2.
The Hawks received two first-round picks and Larry Nance Jr. in exchange for the star forward. They made this move after winning the draft lottery and drafting Zaccharie Risacher first overall. These moves have reset the franchise and show that they are looking to the future.
The Pelicans made this move to return to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. They have not advanced in the playoffs since 2018 and need to get a great performance out of Murray to break that streak. The Pelicans have an opportunity to do that because of their star-filled group of Murray, Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum.
Future of Hawks and Pelicans after Dejounte Murray trade
The Hawks are set up to be one of the worst teams in the NBA this season. After getting rid of Murray, they are resting on Young and Risacher to win them any games. This matchup against the Pelicans will be one of the many where they are heavy underdogs. They should try and move Young for a haul of picks to kick off their rebuild.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans have set themselves up for a competitive window in the Western Conference. The only problem is that the West is incredibly deep. The Nuggets, Clippers, Lakers, Warriors, and defending Western Conference champion Mavericks will all command playoff spots.
These two teams are headed in different directions after the Dejounte Murray trade. That will be on display for the entire league to see when the Pelicans visit the Hawks on December 2. It will be interesting to see how the Atlanta crowd reacts when their former franchise player takes the floor again.
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