The Hawks are doing stuff!
All eyes have been on the Atlanta Hawks for months now as the team floundered about during the regular season. Dejounte Murray and Trae Young have been the epicenter of trade rumors in the NBA.
Now, one of them is finally on the move. The Hawks have reportedly traded Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans, according to the latest from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Hawks were bound to make a move this season after so many consecutive disappointing seasons. Trae Young’s trade value currently seems shot. Naturally, Murray was the move.
Let’s dive into the details and grade the trade.
Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
The Hawks get: A 2025 first-round pick via the Los Angeles Lakers, the least favorable of a 2027 first-round pick from either the Bucks or Pelicans, Dyson Daniels and Larry Nance Jr.
The Pelicans get: Dejounte Murray
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Though CJ McCollum has been solid as the Pelicans’ lead ball handler, New Orleans has struggled to find a suitable backcourt partner who covers his defensive weaknesses and allows him to lock in on his role as a scorer.
Theoretically, Murray serves that purpose. He’s an elite defender at his best and can pick up the opponent’s toughest guard assignment. He hasn’t been as good a defender as he once was, but this is a bet from the Pelicans that he’ll improve again with a diminished offensive role. He’ll also be a solid pick and roll partner for Zion Williamson.
He’s not an elite shooter and won’t solve the Pelicans’ problem with their shooting volume — they shoot the ball well but are one of the lowest-volume shooting teams in the NBA. But he brings them a bit of north-south shot creation and should be able to get to the rim easily. If New Orleans keeps Brandon Ingram around, that offense could be scary.
GRADE: B
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
For years, Atlanta has been treading water for the last few years as a play-in team. That’s dissatisfying for a team that was in the Eastern Conference Finals just a few years ago.
Atlanta seems to be ready to head in a different direction, finally. It’s still unclear what that direction is, but the Murray trade is at least motion.
The Pelicans get an unprotected pick in a strong draft in 2025. This Lakers pick could legitimately be a good one — LA was barely a play-in team last season and now the Lakers will have a first-year head coach in JJ Redick.
READ MORE: The JJ Redick isn’t likely to be a good hire early on for LA
They also get another first-round pick in 2027 that could potentially be a lottery pick between the Bucks and the Pelicans. Plus, Dyson Daniels is a solid prospect and Larry Nance Jr. is a nice defensive presence for Atlanta in the frontcourt.
That’s not quite recouping what the Hawks lost from the Murray trade in the first place, but it’s certainly a start. And just because you make a previous mistake doesn’t mean you need to wallow in it.
The Hawks might not be done shifting things around — Young could still potentially be moved. We’ll see. In the meantime, though, this is a smart deal for Atlanta.
GRADE: A
