The Atlanta Hawks made the ‘move of the offseason’, says 4-time champ

We have reached a quiet spot in the offseason but the Atlanta Hawks are still getting mentioned quite a bit. Most of the conversation has been good and revolving around their blockbuster trade for Dejounte Murray. The leader in steals per game last season, Murray satisfies Atlanta’s need for a second playmaker and star next to Trae Young.

It was not cheap to acquire Murray and the deal drew criticism for what the Hawks sent back to the San Antonio Spurs.

But Nate McMillan described just how he envisions the Murray-Young combo working.

If things go according to plan, it will go a long way towards Murray and Young achieving their goal of bringing a championship to the city. There seems to be a growing belief that, at the very least, they have set themselves up nicely going forward.

Will Perdue called the Atlanta Hawks’ blockbuster trade the “move of the offseason”

Four-time champion and former Chicago Bulls center Will Perdue joined the chorus of outside media giving praise to the Hawks for showing some aggression this offseason by going to get Murray. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during his podcast that the Hawks were one of the “winners” of the offseason.

Perdue, who does pre and postgame coverage for the Bulls, took it a step further during the July 29 episode of the “Bulls Talk Podcast” saying that the Hawk’s move stood out above the rest in the Eastern Conference.

“I’m telling you, the move of the offseason was the Hawks getting Murray from San Antonio. I don’t think people realize how good that dude is.”

Murray is coming off of his first All-Star appearance last season.

He also led the NBA in steals per game. But Perdue is not just fond of what Murray can do individually. He also thinks the 26-year-old will have a positive impact on Trae Young.

“So all of a sudden now, you try to do what you did against Trae Young in the playoffs – get physical, take the ball out of his hands – Dejounte Murray is like, ‘Go right ahead because I’ll give you 40.”

Jason Goff, who was hosting the show, added that Murray’s defense is a challenge for opponents while noting that Murray’s relationship with Bulls star Zach Lavine adds to the intrigue of a potential matchup.

Windhorst anticipated the Hawks still had another move in them to take this squad even a step further.

But Perdue’s statements bode well for a group that, as-is, still returns six of its top nine players from the 2021 season when it made the Eastern Conference Finals.