After a disappointing first-round exit in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, it's quite apparent that the Atlanta Hawks need to shake things up. Aiming to do all they can to get more help for franchise superstar Trae Young, the Hawks will definitely have their work cut out for them, especially if they want to keep pace in the tight-knit Eastern Conference.
One player that the Hawks reportedly have strong interest is San Antonio Spurs All-Star guard Dejounte Murray. The latest report from Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer on Sunday claims Atlanta and San Antonio are still engaged in talks on a potential trade. In Atlanta, Murray would be a great fit playing next to Young, and they'd form one of the most complete and lethal backcourts in the NBA. With all this going for the Hawks, let's now discuss the perfect trade they must offer the Spurs to make this deal happen.
Hawks-Spurs trade
Hawks receive: Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson
Spurs receive: De'Andre Hunter, John Collins, Delon Wright, two future first-round picks
In this hypothetical trade scenario, the Hawks would be getting another up-and-coming star to pair with Young and form an exciting and youthful backcourt. Murray's diverse skill set would allow Young to spend more possessions playing off-ball and create more scoring opportunities for Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kevin Huerter, Danilo Gallinari, and Clint Capela. Murray's scoring, facilitating, and playmaking abilities would make Atlanta a more prolific scoring team while lessening Young's offensive load. Having another top-level ball handler would make the offensive attack more diverse, which is important after we saw the Miami Heat shut down Young and the entire offense in the first round of the playoffs.
Murray's rebounding and on-ball defense are also major attributes that the Hawks would greatly benefit from. Atlanta knows it needs to be better on defense, especially given Young's shortcomings in that area, and Murray would help in that area. He would also be able to focus more on the defensive end because he wouldn't be carrying quite as much of an offensive load.
Also coming over to the Hawks in this deal would be Keldon Johnson, who has really made a name for himself over the past few seasons as a do-it-all hustle player. Johnson's ability to play both forward spots would give the Hawks strong versatility on both ends. Johnson is another young talent who would add to the Hawks' youth movement while giving them quality depth in their frontcourt rotation.
The departures of De'Andre Hunter, John Collins, and Delon Wright would also pave the way for youngsters such as Sharife Cooper and Jalen Johnson, among others, to earn more playing time. The addition of Murray would boost Atlanta's title chances and make them one of the best teams out East. For the Spurs, they'd be adding an exciting new tandem in Hunter and Collins to lead their retooling process.
Hunter and Collins would also be taking on a larger role with a Spurs team that's still in the process of transitioning toward playoff contention. Under the guidance and tutelage of title winning head coach Gregg Popovich, Hunter and Collins would take their games to the next level and lead San Antonio into the future. In this transaction, the Spurs would also gain a veteran combo guard in Delon Wright and some important draft capital as well to help rebuild.
Overall, both teams would come away with a big win in this deal and gain new talent that would make them better in the long haul. While the Spurs are still working their way back into contention, the Hawks would vastly improve their roster and be able to quickly fight their way back into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.