As another disappointing Atlanta Hawks season careens toward an end, the trade buzz surrounding Trae Young and Dejounte Murray is only getting louder. NBA insider Marc Stein is the latest to report on a likely trade of one of the Hawks' star guards in the upcoming offseason.
“One league source, the way it was described to me, the most likely scenario remains that before next season Atlanta would more likely than not trade one of its star guards. The expectation remains at this juncture that Trae Young or Dejounte Murray, the best forecast at this point, is one of the two would likely be moved before next season,” Stein said on the #thisleague Uncut podcast.
The Young-Murray partnership hasn't worked out as hoped since Atlanta traded a haul to the San Antonio Spurs for Murray in the 2022 offseason. The Hawks went 41-41 last season and lost to the Boston Celtics in the first round after making it through the play-in tournament. This season, Atlanta is 36-42 and in line to get the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, with an elimination game on deck against the Chicago Bulls in the play-in.
Young is on the verge of a return from a finger injury. The Hawks point guard hasn't played since Feb. 23 due to the injury, which required surgery. But even with Young about to be back in the fold, Atlanta faces an uphill battle to qualify for the playoffs. And even if that happens, the result would be an early exit at the hands of the Celtics for a second straight season.
Trae Young, Dejounte Murray trade rumors
The Hawks gave Dejounte Murray a four-year, $120 million contract extension last summer, but he was in trade rumors for much of the season leading up to February's deadline thanks to the team's struggles. Atlanta ultimately decided not to pull the trigger on any deal, but the rumors are heating up again.
This time, though, it seems as if the Hawks might actually be willing to move on from their franchise player in Trae Young. Murray has played well and managed to keep Atlanta afloat with Young sidelined, and Trae would likely fetch more in a deal.
Ironically enough, Murray's former team, the Spurs, have been named as a possible option for both players. The Hawks trading Murray back to San Antonio would be quite the funny development, but Young is even more intriguing.
While Young has his flaws, the thought of a partnership with Victor Wembanyama is mouth-watering. The Spurs badly need a legitimate floor general to play with Wemby, and the phenom's defensive presence would help mitigate Young's defensive woes.
The Los Angeles Lakers will surely be sniffing around both players as well. Many thought Murray was destined to go to the Lakers ahead of this deadline, but nothing came to fruition. Instead, LA may have been saving up for a run at Young in the summer.
There will likely be other suitors as well if the Hawks do indeed make both players available. As of right now, it seems that will be the case.
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