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The Los Angeles Lakers couldn’t get Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray at the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline. However, that doesn’t mean the LA franchise won’t take another run at him this offseason. And when they do call the Hawks this summer, they’ll also apparently be asking about Atlanta star Trae Young.
“League personnel expect Los Angeles, of course, to re-engage Atlanta over Murray,” Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Fischer reported on Friday after the NBA trade deadline. “The Lakers certainly won’t limit their thinking to Murray. There are several front offices that listened to Atlanta’s pre-deadline chatter and came away from conversations with the Hawks of the belief Trae Young could become available for trade this summer.”
A Lakers-Hawks trade for Dejounte Murray or Trae Young is still a long way away, though, and a lot can happen between now and July.
For example, Fischer notes that the Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid or Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo could become available, which could change the Lakers' focus. Also, LA isn’t the only organization interested in the Hawks’ sharpshooting superstar.
“One spot other than Los Angeles that’s repeatedly been mentioned by NBA figures as a potential home for Young — if Atlanta were to ever consider parting with its franchise face and All-Star lead ball-handler — is San Antonio. The Spurs do lack a clear-cut pick-and-roll partner for rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama.”
So, in addition to other stars becoming available, the Lakers will have competition for a Trae Young trade and competition with a lot more assets to deal than LA.
With the trade deadline over, it will now be a few months before players start to move again. That said, it is worth filing away a lot of these NBA trade deadline rumors, as they might come up again this offseason.
