There’s been constant chatter surrounding Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, one of the top backcourt players on the trade market. However, the latest rumor about the 27-year-old may point to the Hawks not trading Murray at all.
NBA Rumors: Quin Snyder Asking Hawks to Keep Dejounte Murray
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, “[Atlanta Hawks head coach] Quin Snyder has lobbied the Hawks to keep [Dejounte Murray].”
“Murray has not only played well amid considerable trade noise,” Stein adds – citing his recent game-winners against the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat in back-to-back games – “but also possesses a pretty manageable contract based on today’s standards.”
Stein has also reported that there’s been a holdup with Murray being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Though still considered a highly possible transaction, the source of the snag appears to be Atlanta’s preference for L.A. to send them Austin Reaves rather than D’Angelo Russell.
While much can change between now and the NBA trade deadline (Feb. 8), multiple signs point to Murray remaining with the Hawks.
Though they could look to revisit his trade market during the offseason, Snyder’s recommendation could hold a lot of weight in Atlanta’s front office. Not only is Snyder one of the most revered coaches in the NBA, he signed a five-year contract believed to be worth around $8 million annually. In other words, they place plenty of value on his vision.
Would the Hawks Trade Bogdan Bogdanovic Instead?
The Hawks will likely resist the idea of trading veteran wing Bogdan Bogdanovic. He hasn’t quite been reliable on either end of the floor, but he’s averaging career-highs of 17.1 points and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 36.9% from three-point range.
With Bogdanovic being Atlanta’s most reliable off-ball threat, trading him would seem counterproductive. However, as a second-unit player, his importance to the Hawks is arguably less than that of Murray.
Furthermore, his trade value is likely to be higher than that of the oft-injured De’Andre Hunter. It’s likely higher than Clint Capela’s as well, as outside shooting is the premier skill in today’s NBA.
Why Trade Bogdan Bogdanovic?
Trading Bogdanovic might serve the purpose of netting Atlanta a bonafide 3-and-D wing, a player they could start alongside Trae Young and Murray on the perimeter.
In this event, Hunter could be moved to the second unit, making his absences less impactful than they would be otherwise.
Looking around the league, multiple 3-and-D wings could be available for trade:
- Quentin Grimes, New York Knicks
- Moses Moody, Golden State Warriors
- Josh Green, Dallas Mavericks
- Gary Trent Jr., Toronto Raptors
Among those players, Grimes has been the one most discussed as a real trade target. In fact, the Hawks and Knicks are rumored to have already discussed a trade package that includes Grimes when they tried to reach an agreement on a Murray deal.
Moody is another player who’s also been included in trade rumors, largely due to his upside and dissatisfaction with his role in Golden State.
Notably, Grimes is six-foot-five, and Moody is six-foot-six, both over 200 pounds. Their physical measurements should allow them to play small forward for most of their minutes. The same holds for Trent and Green, who are both six-foot-five.
Highly regarded for their on-ball defense, Grimes (38.1), Moody (36.2), Green (37.6), and Trent (38.8) have also shot over 36% from three for their careers.
Should the Hawks Make the Move?
Replacing Bogdanovic’s scoring could prove more difficult than the Hawks would like.
On the one hand, Hunter could put up similar production in a similar role. On the other hand, that would still leave the Hawks hoping their trade acquisition averaged numbers near Hunter’s.
Trent Jr. (11.7 PPG) is the only player of the aforementioned 3-and-D wings with a double-digit scoring average this season.
Atlanta’s trade acquisition and current players would have to increase their production to ensure they replace the scoring they could lose. The most likely candidates are Garrison Mathews and Saddiq Bey.
Furthermore, Hunter and Bey perform well enough to make the addition of a prized defender less imperative than it otherwise would be.
Nonetheless, neither Bogdanovic, Bey, or Hunter do well enough as three-point threats and perimeter defenders to be an optimal fit besides Young and/or Murray. Furthermore, addition by subtraction isn’t easy math, but spreading the scoring could make for better balance among both the starters and the second unit.
As a result, the Hawks should seriously consider making a move for a 3-and-D wing. Even if it requires moving their Serbian sharpshooter.
