With the Atlanta Hawks mired in several different trade rumors, it would make sense for the players to do their best to avoid the outside noise.
Perhaps that was the intention of star Dejounte Murray who posted a message amid a string of photos showing him putting in work over the offseason. The notable part of the post, aside from the caption, is that the 2022 steals champ turned off the comments.
“Never get comfortable,” Murray’s message said. “Anything can happen!!!!”
Probably just trying to avoid the kind of questions that could make someone turn off the comments pic.twitter.com/67TV2mtqSV
— Josh Buckhalter (@JoshGBuck) June 23, 2023
This appears to be nothing more than motivational words from a player heading into his eighth NBA season. But Murray’s name has come up in trade rumors this offseason, just one year after the Hawks made one of the blockbuster trades that defined last offseason, sending three first-round picks and more to the San Antonio Spurs to acquire him.
His first season did not produce the results the team wanted but his pairing with Trae Young offered plenty of promise.
He also didn’t sound like a person looking to find another situation.
“Obviously coming to Atlanta it was another challenge,” Murray said via the Hawks’ YouTube channel on April 28. “But that’s the kind of person I am. I want all challenges. I don’t want nothing easy. I feel like adversities will really build you, whether it’s on or off the floor.”
Atlanta Hawks duo looking forward to next season
Murray and Young became the first set of teammates to each average 20.0 points and 6.0 assists since Chicago Bulls stars Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in the 90s.
Young has spoke of working to get even more out of next season.
The former Spur averaged 20.5 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.3 rebounds this past season and shot 34.4% from beyond the arc on a career-high 5.2 attempts. He also saw his efficiency from the free throw line improve, jumping from 79.4% in 2021-22 to 83.2% this past season but he is also heading into the final year of his contract.
With unrestricted free agency likely in his future – he risks leaving up to $17 million in the first year of a potential contract extension – the Hawks could move him to avoid losing him for free.
“Murray…would cost quite a lot for Atlanta to part with,” wrote Yahoo Sports NBA insider Jake Fischer on June 16. “The Hawks are valuing their players in some form of tier structure…where Murray stands in his own realm after Young.”
Atlanta is facing an $8 million luxury tax bill pending other moves.
But there is plenty of offseason to go and the noise surrounding the Hawks has mostly come from the outside. Something may happen but that certainly does not mean it has to be a trade of Murray for the Hawks to get back under the luxury tax threshold.