The Golden State Warriors' 2023-24 season went haywire early and has yet to get on track. The Warriors are 17-20 on the season and would not even make the Play-in tournament as things stand. They have a -0.8 point differential and their -0.9 net rating ranks 19th in the NBA.
There is not much other than history to suggest that the Warriors are a title contender at the moment. Perhaps that could change with a trade for Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray. Murray has been named as a potential trade target for the Warriors, via Anthony Slater of The Athletic
The Hawks are in a tailspin of their own. They're 15-21 themselves and are also out of the Play-In picture as things stand. The Hawks were a team that many projected to take a step up this season, but that has not yet come to fruition. It would make plenty of sense for these two teams to make a deal happen. The question then becomes, what is a deal that would benefit both sides?
Warriors receive
Dejounte Murray, De'Andre Hunter
Hawks receive
Chris Paul, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, 2025, 2017 first-round picks
Why the Warriors do it
Clearly, the Warriors' roster is not good enough as things stand, and their perimeter defense has not nearly been good enough. Golden State ranks 23rd in defensive rating For a team that wants to compete for a championship, that isn't anywhere near good enough.
With Gary Payton II injured, there just isn't anybody on the Warriors' roster outside of Andrew Wiggins, whose play has fallen off, Golden State can trust to defend opponent's best players.
They'd instantly get two answers in that in Murray and Hunter. Murray is one of the best guard perimeter defenders in the NBA and Hunter is stout against opposing wings. Both are plus shooters as well, so the Warriors won't have to worry about them getting played off the floor in a playoff setting. This would be a great haul for Golden State.
Why the Hawks do it
If the Hawks feel they aren't going anywhere any time soon, it would be best to pull the plug on a Murray – Trae Young backcourt that just hasn't clicked since the moment it was formed. Atlanta has a -3.9 net rating this season when Young and Murray are on the floor together, according to Cleaning the Glass. That's bad and it wasn't much better last season either.
Atlanta would be getting out of a pairing that isn't working and would recoup everything a team would want when trading away a star player: draft picks, young players, and cap relief.
The Hawks would be getting two first-round picks and two promising wings in Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. On top of that, instead of having to pay over $183 million to keep Murray and Hunter, they'd only owe Kuminga and Moody a combined $13,439,576 over the next season before they become restricted free agents. Even after their eventual extension, that is a ton of cap relief the Hawks can use in other endeavors.
It's tough to hit the eject button so early on Dejounte Murray, but it just hasn't worked out with him in Atlanta. The Hawks need to get out while they can and the Warriors need help as soon as possible. A trade would benefit both sides here.
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