Proposed Hawks trade ships out All-Star to 'reshape the roster'

The Atlanta Hawks figure to drive a lot of the conversation this offseason despite finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference and missing the playoffs for the first time in five years.

Which path will they take this offseason? 

Will they try to tweak their roster with smaller moves to better fit the front office and Head Coach Quin Snyder’s vision? Or will they opt for at least one major change, resigned to the fact that their last major move to pair Trae Young and Dejounte Murray hasn’t panned out as planned?

With little known about their plans amid heavy speculation, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz offered up a hypothetical trade package that builds around Young.

“Murray developed into an All-Star point guard with the Spurs,” Swartz wrote on April 30. “A reunion with Popovich on a Spurs team that needs an upgrade at point guard makes too much sense not to happen. San Antonio showed interest in Murray at this year's trade deadline, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania, and Murray spoke highly about Popovich to Trae Young on Bleacher Report's "From the Point" podcast.”

“Atlanta's front office could go straight out of a scene from Draft Day and demand (some of) their first-round picks back that they gave up for Murray in the first place, along with [Keldon] Johnson and a backup point guard for Young in [Devonte] Graham,” Swartz wrote. “The Hawks would get a chance to reshape the roster around Young with control of their picks back.”

Johnson, 24, was the No. 29 overall pick in 2019 and a member of the 2020 Olympics squad that brought home the gold.

He is going into the second year of a four-year, $74 million contract.

Graham, 29, saw his role diminished greatly in 2023-24, his first full season with the Spurs after the New Orleans Pelicans traded him at the deadline in 2022-23. He is going into the final year of a four-year, $47.3 million pact.

This move would add roughly $6 million to the Hawks’ bottom line, just one of various issues that stem from the idea above.

It also does little to raise the Hawks’ ceiling, which could cost them Young.

Hawks’ Dejounte Murray could benefit from Spurs homecoming

Murray would get a chance to reset after feeling dragged through the ringer last season. Murray led the league in steals as part of the All-Star campaign and broke out as a point guard with the Spurs under Popovich.

Murray and Young brushed aside the trade rumors during the season, noting their focus was trying to finish the season strong. The Hawks lost their final six regular season games.

They also fell short in the Play-In Tournament, marking their third straight season taking a step back after their run to the Easter Conference Finals. That run was before Murray’s arrival, which was supposed to restore the luster to this core group.

Murray and Young are both under contract for the next two seasons at least. 

Young can utilize his early termination option to void the final year of his five-year, $215.1 million contract 2026-27.

Murray is locked in through 2027-28 after inking a four-year, $114 million contract last summer, though that did not keep him out of trade rumors this season. Whatever the Hawks decide, there figure to be significant ramifications.