NBA trade rumors and live updates: Latest news, big board, deals and players to watch ahead of Feb. 8 deadline – The Athletic
The Hawks clearly want to make some changes, and moving Murray represents the most substantive one they could make this season. The backcourt combination of Trae Young and Murray has not worked as well as the Hawks expected when they traded three first-round picks and a pick swap to acquire Murray from San Antonio. Atlanta’s hope was that pairing Young with a bigger, defensively conscious, playmaking guard like Murray would allow Young to thrive on or off the ball and would stop the Hawks from hemorrhaging points when he left the floor. Murray, who was coming off an All-Star season, was an intriguing bet.
Ultimately, it’s become clear the Hawks should want the ball in Young’s hands as much as possible. While Murray has made strides as a 3-point shooter — he’s hitting 39 percent on six attempts per game this season — he’s not as impactful off the ball as he is on it, which has diminished his overall impact. Additionally, Murray’s strong defense has taken a dive from its previous heights in San Antonio, when he was an All-Defense-level performer. He still gets steals occasionally but hasn’t been quite as engaged off the ball this season. Any team acquiring Murray is doing so in large part because it believes his play on that end rebounds.
Murray signed a four-year, $114 million extension this summer with a player option in 2027, meaning he’s locked in for the long term. If he gets back to his prior defensive heights upon leaving his current messy situation in Atlanta, his average annual value of about $28 million is a reasonable price tag. But any team acquiring him should probably do so with an eye toward returning him to the lead guard spot.
Trade value: First-round pick and a prospect.
Best fits: Lakers, Warriors, Heat, Nets, Knicks, Magic, Pelicans
