A new name can be added to the list of potential trade targets for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray is a player that the Lakers could have interest in, according to NBA insider Shams Charania.
"One more player to keep an eye on I'm told, a potential target for the Lakers, Hawks guard Dejounte Murray."@ShamsCharania on potential trade targets for the Lakers.
📺: https://t.co/wdT8I0ST8g pic.twitter.com/xtY6gCF2FO
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 26, 2023
On the season, Murray is averaging 20.3 points, 5.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 34.4 minutes per performance for Atlanta. He has appeared in all 29 games that the Hawks have played to this point.
Murray was named an All-Star during the 2021-22 season as a member of the San Antonio Spurs, and he led the NBA in steals per game that season. He was also named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team for his work on that end of the floor during the 2017-18 season.
The Lakers aren’t the only team that may have interest in the Hawks guard, which isn’t especially surprising given all that he brings to the court on both ends. Some members of the New York Knicks view Murray as an “ideal” trade target, according to Ian Begley of SNY.
“They also have their eyes on bolstering other positions, including the backcourt,” Begley wrote of the Knicks. “Some prominent members of the organization see Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray as an ideal trade target. New York had interest in trading for Murray in the 2022 offseason. At that point, Murray was viewed by some as a great fit with lead guard Jalen Brunson.”
There is clearly some interest in Murray across the league’s landscape, but it’s unclear how likely it is that he will be dealt. The Hawks traded for the 27-year-old from the Spurs in June of 2022, and they gave up a lot to acquire him, including multiple first-round picks and a pick swap.
At the time of the trade, the Hawks seemingly viewed Murray as a solid fit alongside star guard Trae Young, and it seems somewhat unlikely that the organization would want to pull the plug on the duo after just a season and some change. However, crazier things have happened in the NBA, and there has been some buzz surrounding a potential Murray trade.
“Multiple teams consulted in Orlando believe that the Hawks will explore their trade options with Dejounte Murray over the next six weeks leading up to the Feb. 8 trade deadline,” wrote NBA insider Marc Stein recently.
Atlanta has gotten off to a slow start this season. The Hawks currently sit outside of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference with a record of 12-17. If their struggles continue, their front office could grow impatient and look to shake things up prior to the deadline in February. If that occurs, perhaps Murray will indeed be on the move.
Any team that wants to land Murray will have to try to trade for him, since he won’t hit free agency for the foreseeable future after signing a four-year, $120 million extension with Atlanta in July. That contract keeps him under team control through the 2026-27 season at least and includes a player option for the 2027-28 campaign.
