The Atlanta Hawks are looking to shake things up this offseason and make a splash on their roster. After advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, they had to win two games in the NBA Play-In Tournament just to qualify for the postseason this year.
They didn’t last very long, as the Miami Heat eliminated them in five games. Looking to ensure that doesn’t happen again, Atlanta is on the lookout for some upgrades to their roster and it sounds like they may be zeroing in on a target.
According to Zach Klein of ABC Atlanta and Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Atlanta Hawks are in the advanced stages of trade negotiations with the San Antonio Spurs. The player that Atlanta is reportedly close to acquiring is Dejounte Murray.
The package will shock some people, as Danilo Gallinari and multiple first-round draft picks are what is rumored to be heading to the San Antonio Spurs. As Fischer points out, there have been talks of increasing the guarantees in Gallinari’s contract and potentially getting a deal done before the league year.
For the Atlanta Hawks, Dejounte Murray would provide the team with another ball-handler and playmaker, pushing Trae Young off the ball more. That would make their offense even more dynamic, as Young should find it easier to score moving off the ball.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: San Antonio Spurs Still Talking Dejounte Murray Trade, Headed To Atlanta Hawks?
Dejounte Murray is also an excellent defender, something that Atlanta needs more of. He is a perfect complement to Young in that regard, as well, as Murray can take the top perimeter assignment every night, helping compensate for the lack of impact that Young has on that end of the court.
A lot of people will scratch their heads at this offer from the San Antonio Spurs’ perspective. They are trading away their best player in exchange for Gallinari, who could be released given his partial guarantee, and picks.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: San Antonio Spurs Still Talking Dejounte Murray Trade, Headed To Atlanta Hawks?
That would signal that the tank is on in San Antonio for the first time in franchise history. They endured a lot of losing once before and it resulted in them landing Tim Duncan with the first overall pick. They are likely aiming for a similar outcome ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft when highly touted prospect Victor Wembanyama will be eligible to be selected.
