Dejounte Murray inches closer to joining Lakers after latest update

It seems like Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray is inching closer to joining the Los Angeles Lakers.

“It feels like that has got very real legs to it,” The Athletic’s Sam Amick said regarding rumors linking Murray to the Lakers. “… It’s a question of how long does Landry Fields hold out? But it feels like the Lakers have separated themselves from the Dejounte pack, and it feels like — to some degree — they’ve locked in on him as a guy they think can help them.”

Murray is reportedly one of the Lakers’ top two targets ahead of the league’s trade deadline, which is set for Feb. 8. The other player is Toronto Raptors wing Bruce Brown, someone who is garnering lots of interest across the league.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Lakers are able to pull off a deal with the Hawks in the next couple of weeks. Murray is a one-time All-Star who would bring a versatile skill set on both ends of the floor to L.A.

He’s currently recording 21.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game while knocking down 47.1 percent of his shots from the field and 39.0 percent of his attempts from deep. The 27-year-old has earned All-Defensive honors once in his career and earned a strong reputation on that side of the floor.

The Hawks are reportedly looking for two first-round picks and a starting-level player in exchange for Murray, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer. It remains to be seen if the Lakers will meet those demands.

Atlanta’s demands bring about an issue for the Lakers, who only have one first-round pick available to trade at the moment. Of course, the Purple and Gold could always rope in a third team to help facilitate a deal.

The Lakers could certainly use a boost at this point in the 2023-24 season, as they sit in ninth place in the Western Conference with a 22-23 record after losing to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.

Consistency issues have plagued the Lakers all season long, and the team is 5-5 over its last 10 games. Midseason trades ignited the Lakers last season and helped them make it all the way to the Western Conference Finals, so perhaps the organization is thinking of following the same path this season.

Next up for the Lakers is a home game against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night. After that, they will embark on a six-game road trip that could determine whether or not the front office makes some moves before the deadline.