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NBA Rumors: This Team Could Help the Lakers Land Dejounte Murray

Dec 30, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray (5) is introduced before a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Lakers’ status with Dejounte Murray has been unclear over the past few days. Some reports said they were frontrunners to land him, while insider Marc Stein revealed a deal is “unrealistic” as of now. D’Angelo Russell’s recent play has made the Lakers think twice about moving him. Meanwhile, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder is reportedly asking the Hawks to keep Murray around.

With the trade deadline a little over a week away, there’s still a chance that a deal materializes. The Athletic’s Jovan Buha reported that LA and Atlanta could get help from another Eastern Conference team. It’s one that the Lakers, and especially Russell, are all too familiar with.

NBA Rumors: This Team Could Help the Lakers Land Dejounte Murray

The Third Team in Question

On a recent episode of the HoopsHype Podcast, Buha posited that the Brooklyn Nets could be the third team to get Los Angeles over the hump:

“You mentioned some of the names I heard out there. Brooklyn, Charlotte, Washington. Detroit and San Antonio also could get involved. It has to be a team willing to take on some bad money, likely a lottery team, that’ll look to recoup assets from the Lakers in the form of a second-round pick or two or a future pick swap.”

The Lakers had also expressed interest in Spencer Dinwiddie, the frustrated lead guard for the Nets, in addition to two of their other wings.

“Can the Lakers potentially expand that deal and try to get Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, or Royce O’Neale?”

ESPN analyst Kevin Pelton proposed a three-team trade that involved the Nets, but it’s not what fans were expecting.

Lakers receive: Dejounte Murray

Hawks receive: Spencer Dinwiddie, 2029 first-round pick (via Lakers)

Nets receive: D’Angelo Russell

Pelton outlined his reasoning for including Brooklyn in this deal, which, in theory, makes sense:

“Enter the Nets, who could bring Russell home to prop up their ailing offense. Russell’s lone All-Star appearance came as part of a young Brooklyn team similar in many ways to the current group. With Dinwiddie slumping this season, Russell would be a massive offensive upgrade for the Nets, who can comfortably handle his 2024-25 player option.”

Is This the Right Addition for the Lakers and Hawks?

The Hawks were reportedly holding out for a player better than Russell. Dinwiddie is not that guy, but he’d at least help the Hawks as a combo guard who can get hot in a hurry and complement Trae Young in the backcourt.

A trade like this could be a good start for the Lakers, but LA should also ask Brooklyn for Royce O’Neale or Dorian Finney-Smith to make the move for Murray worthwhile. Either of them would be a far better fit than Taurean Prince, whose production as a starter leaves a lot more to be desired. They would also patch up some holes in the Lakers’ wing department, mainly three-point shooting and frontcourt defense. The Lakers won’t be able to get greedy and acquire Murray and Dinwiddie in the same trade, so bringing in one of Brooklyn’s forwards would be a worthy compromise.

The reaction from the Lakers community has been mixed, with some advocating for Dejounte Murray’s fit and contract, while others question if he’s really an upgrade over Russell:

Regardless, it’s encouraging that the Lakers are still aiming for big moves at the deadline—anything to salvage this rollercoaster of a season.

Could Other Teams Help the Lakers and Hawks?

As Buha pointed out, Brooklyn is not the end-all-be-all third team for LA and Atlanta. The Wizards or Pistons could get involved, with the former potentially being a better second option—far better than this disastrous mock trade.

Buha pointed out that the Lakers would quickly reject that offer from Detroit since Austin Reaves is untouchable. However, they may be open to a separate deal that lands one (or both) of Bogdan Bogdanovic or Alec Burks:

“That said, the Lakers have long coveted both Bogdanović and Burks, individually, so I think they’d be interested in trying to find a framework along these lines. I think they would counter with something like Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Christie and a first-rounder. The Pistons probably wouldn’t accept that. I don’t see a clear trade between these two that lands Reaves in Detroit. But I could see something more realistic in which the Lakers give up some combination of players and a first for Bogdanović, if Detroit is open to it.”

That leaves the Washington Wizards as this trade’s second option, and a good one at that.

The Lakers have shown interest in veteran point guard Tyus Jones, who is on an expiring contract and making $14 million. The Wizards are still making moves towards their rebuild, so taking on Russell and his contract would be an ideal situation for them and the Lakers. The lone issue in this is what Washington would send Atlanta, unless the Wizards are open to moving on from Daniel Gafford or another rotation player. It may be tough for the Lakers to swing both Murray and Jones, but fans should still trust Rob Pelinka and the tricks he has up his sleeve.

The Last Word

Between the Nets, Pistons and Wizards, fans should hope that Brooklyn tries to bring Russell back so the Lakers can land Murray—if that’s still the plan. It makes sense for the three parties to engage in trade talks, but if those don’t come to fruition, the Lakers and Hawks have other avenues towards working out a deal.

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