The Los Angeles Lakers enter this offseason with a need to improve the roster after their first-round exit last season. Even under a rookie head coach like JJ Redick, the team will be scrutinized heavily if they don’t compete for a championship with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They’ll be searching hard for upgrades on the market, with Dejounte Murray being a name the team made a run at in the winter as well.
The Atlanta Hawks are expected to move on from either Trae Young or Dejounte Murray after two seasons with a first-round ceiling for the franchise. While the Lakers have had eyes on Young as well, Murray would be a much better fit on the team as a two-way guard playing off LeBron James and Anthony Davis, instead of a scorer like Young. As a result, the franchises could come to an interesting agreement for a trade.
Trade Details
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2024 Draft No. 17 Pick, 2030 First-Round Pick (LAL)
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Dejounte Murray, Bruno Fernando
This deal finally brings Dejounte to Los Angeles but at the price of two first-round picks, one solid rotational player, and someone who was drafted in the first round one season ago. The Hawks have additional maneuverability to focus a rebuild around Young after a trade like this.
The Atlanta Hawks Pivot To Re-Tooling Their Roster
The Hawks made a very expensive gamble with Dejounte when they acquired him in the summer of 2022, giving up three first-round picks to the Spurs. The two-guard combo with him and Trae Young hasn’t worked, which requires them to send out one of these players to recoup the assets they lost. While Young might be the better player through production and previous experience as a No. 1 option, his style of play won’t be attractive enough for the Hawks to find a price that they’d be comfortable trading him with.
Moving Murray and getting this haul of assets would be a better avenue to building a contender. Rui Hachimura averaged 13.6 points and 4.3 rebounds last season, proving he’s a winning player over the last two seasons. He has been a much-improved defender and was crucial in the Lakers’ late-season run to solidify the No. 7 seed in the West.
Gabe Vincent was barely available through last season but is a proven playoff-caliber guard who would add a defensive option next to or behind Young. Jalen Hood-Schifino would be a long-term project, as the 6’6″ guard who was drafted No. 17 last year is still developing his game.
Hood-Schifino could be an attractive young asset, but that doesn’t compare to the 2031 Draft pick they’re getting in this deal. Given the aging superstar duo at the helm of the team and their insecure future, a pick like this that far down the line could end up being incredibly valuable, whether to hold it or to trade it for immediate upgrades around Young.
The Lakers Add A Former All-Star
The Lakers made a hard run at Dejounte over the winter, but the Hawks’ refusal to take on D’Angelo Russell made sure the deal wasn’t possible. with D’Lo hitting free agency, it’s time the Lakers make the move for Murray with a frontcourt player like Hachimura who could play alongside Young. Dejounte’s versatility as a two-way player would make him an upgrade over Russell, even if he isn’t as accurate a shooter as him.
Murray averaged 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.4 assists last season. Atlanta acquired him after an All-Star season with the Spurs, so the Lakers will be optimistic about getting similar production out of Murray. One of the signature aspects of his game on the Spurs was defense, as he was making All-Defensive Teams as a sophomore in the NBA. If he can channel that defensive mentality once again, the Lakers will be getting the ideal point guard they’ve searched for in the last few years.
Trading for Murray before the start of July would be ideal for the Lakers, as they can acquire him with a $18.2 million salary requirement. Murray’s contract extension with the Hawks kicks in on July 1, which will then require the Lakers to match $25.2 million in salary.
Bruno Fernando would be a throw-in, as the Hawks would be unlikely to give up on other talented youngsters such as A.J. Griffin and Kobe Bufkin. Fernando would be a decent enough body to add big-man depth to the team, but there’s no guarantee he will stay on the squad even past training camp.
What Grade Should This Trade Be?
Overall Grade Of The Trade: B+
This deal helps two teams move further on the paths of team-building they should be taking. The Hawks get multiple rotational pieces along with future assets that they could use to improve the team in the short-term or hold on to for a rebuild, while the Lakers get another proven star in the league to accompany the team’s two-headed monster.
Atlanta Hawks: B+
The Hawks will be hoping for a miracle or an unexpected need at point guard for some other team in the NBA to get an offer like this for Murray. Both Hawks’ point guards stocks are all over the place given the team’s limited success in the last two seasons. Splitting them apart at any cost might be more fruitful to build a winning roster than keeping them together until a team matches your price.
This deal gives the Hawks two real rotational players they could use in positions of need while also giving multiple future assets including a 6’6″ point guard and two first-round picks. Even comparing it to the price James Harden was dealt for, this deal looks like great value to get out of a distressed situation for the Hawks.
Los Angeles Lakers: A
The Lakers should jump for joy if they could get Murray at this price. He’s a proven ancillary piece who can be trusted to run the team if LeBron is unavailable, and is capable enough to produce regardless of the situation. His defense will be the differentiator because this is an expensive price to pay for a player with Murray’s offensive capabilities. If the two-way guard we know exists can re-emerge to make an Anthony Davis-led defense even more formidable, this trade is a slam dunk.
Replacing Hachimura will be a challenge, but the Lakers will hope they can target the right free-agent forwards to fill that role. The loss of Vincent and Hood-Schifino wouldn’t have a material impact on the team’s rotation from last season either, so a trade like this would make them objectively better headed into next season.