The Atlanta Hawks struggled this last season as they failed to make the playoffs and rumors about them trading either Dejounte Murray or Trae Young have been rampant. One of the backcourt teammates have been officially moved as the Atlanta Hawks traded away shooting guard Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, a 2025 first-round pick (via the Los Angeles Lakers) and the least-favorable Milwaukee Bucks/New Orleans Pelicans 2027 first-round pick.
This is a massive move that gives people a clear indication of what both teams are ready to do for their future. Let’s take a look at both teams and discuss what this means for the future of both teams.
What does this Dejounte Murray trade mean for the New Orleans Pelicans?
The Pelicans acquiring Dejounte Murray gives them a clear indication that they are ready to continue competing. This comes on the heels of his four-year extension for $114 million kicking in, meaning New Orleans will have him under contract for the next three seasons while Murray has a player option for $31.3 million for the 2027-28 season.
Dejounte Murray is still a great asset as the 6-foot-5 guard from Washington finished last season with 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game with 45.9/36.3/79.4 shooting splits in 78 games. This also indicates that the Pels are ready to build a massive core with Murray, Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram, who the team is working on an extension with this offseason.
The Pelicans are in the Western Conference and need to be loaded to make the postseason after losing in the play-in. They finished 0-24 when trailing entering the fourth quarter and 2-14 in close games last year so this added boost should help going forward.
What does this trade mean for the Atlanta Hawks?
The Atlanta Hawks are hitting the reset button and are cutting the Trae Young-Dejounte Murray backcourt experiment out after just two seasons. The team is hitting the reset button after the 2024 NBA draft and getting a solid wing player in Dyson Daniels. The two first-round picks include getting another ticket for the 2025 NBA draft, which is expected to be deep.
The Hawks already drafted small forward Zaccharie Risacher with the first pick in this year’s draft and are looking for a star in the rebuilding process. This team can still compete for a Play-In spot in the Eastern Conference but they lost arguably their best shooter in this trade. The free agency period is coming up and it’s not a strong class, especially with all the re-signings happening but the Hawks are ready for the future.
About the Author
Vincent Pensabene graduated from Saint Leo University in 2019 with a B.A. in Sport Business and has focused on the media side of sports. He writes for multiple publications and is interested in the reasoning of why things happen. Feel free to follow him on social media @TalkVinTalk and discuss all things sports.