For months, all anyone could talk about when it came to the Atlanta Hawks was whether they would be trading Trae Young or Dejounte Murray.
Young, the face of the franchise, is an antihero of sorts. While he has routinely saved the Hawks from the jaws of defeat, he may be the primary contributor to their chaos.
Though he denies it was his intent, his clashes with former head coaches has played a part in their dismissal. He doesn’t quite empower his teammates, helping them believe more in themselves, as a leader should. Instead, his favorite talking point is that he doesn’t and hasn’t had enough help. With that being said, it’s true that Atlanta could have done more to build around him. Nonetheless, those stray criticisms can’t sit well with teammates that usually leave it all on the floor.
However, it wasn’t Young who was traded, but Murray.
What’s Hawks’ Endgame After Dejounte Murray Trade?
Young being the last man standing wasn’t too surprising as he’s the face of the franchise. Plus, his motor and passing instincts have helped him be more productive than his former backcourt mate.
Yet, after Murray averaged a scintillating 24.8 points and 9.2 assists per game when Young was sidelined, it became clear that the one-time All-Star had more to offer than he had previously shown.
That the Hawks had a better win percentage in the time that Young was out couldn’t be ignored either. Not only was Murray playing at a star level, Atlanta’s defense dramatically improved.
Nonetheless, the return that the Hawks got for Murray seemed a bit underwhelming.
Traded to the New Orleans Pelicans for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller, E.J. Liddell and two first round picks, it looks more like Atlanta is rebuilding than remodeling. To that point, Brandon Ingram was expected to be moved in a deal for Murray, not their second unit players. Averaging 23.1 points per game over the past five seasons, the former second overall pick is an elite one-on-one player. He’s also a respectable playmaker with an underrated basketball IQ, averaging 5.2 assists per game in that time.
Hawks Posturing In The Nest
Hawks general manager Landry Fields’s focus could’ve been on the draft assets they acquired.
“…We’re excited about the guys that we got back,” says Fields. “We got a few assets with it too which are going to be helpful for us as we continue to build…”
“It was a hard decision. It was challenging.”
GM Landry Fields discusses the Dejounte Murray trade 🔊 pic.twitter.com/icBuO67uWi
— Bally Sports South (@BallySportsSO) July 11, 2024
With the 2025 pick, the risk is that it’s coming from the Los Angeles Lakers.
If L.A. is healthy enough, they should at least be in playoff contention. However, if one of LeBron James or Anthony Davis has their season interrupted by injury, the selection is much more valuable. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Lakers would end up with a lottery pick. That said, the top of the 2025 NBA Draft is loaded with players who could move the needle for a team.
All of this only raises the question of what Fields’s endgame is; whether there’s a specific or preferred course of action. When asked if Young will be on the roster next season, Fields says “this is a moment where you have to make those hard decisions. From there on, we’ll continue to build.”
VIDEO: This was #Hawks general manager Landry Fields this morning when asked if it was fair to say that Trae Young would be on the roster moving forward. pic.twitter.com/NgdfpWXYKl
— Miles Garrett (@MilesGarrettTV) July 10, 2024
Fields could use the picks in a package to acquire a different sidekick for Young. He could move Young for more draft capital. The 25-year-old’s trade value is lower than expected, as many teams really don’t need a starting point guard. However, teams like the Utah Jazz, Brooklyn Nets, and Los Angeles Lakers could bite on Young in order to build around their stars.
