Dejounte Murray has been the focal point of two of the worst trades in recent memory, according to ESPN's Zach Kram.
In 2022, the Hawks swung for the fences in hopes of finding their backcourt partner for Trae Young. The Hawks traded two Atlanta first round picks and a first round pick swap with Atlanta (all unprotected) and a heavily protected Charlotte first for Murray.
The original Murray trade was a disaster that crippled the Hawks. The Murray-Young era was a failure despite nailing the Jalen Johnson draft pick. The Hawks were left without assets to reload their roster. The situation got so bleak that analysts suggested throwing in the towel and trading Young back to the Spurs to regain their lost draft capital.
However, in classic Pelicans fashion, New Orleans delivered the Hawks a gift nobody could have predicted. The Pelicans recreated the Hawks' mistake, trading Dyson Daniels and two first round picks for Murray. Daniels is already better than Murray, earning the league's Most Improved Player award and an All-Defensive First Team selection in his first season as a Hawk. To make matters worse for New Orleans, Murray tore his Achilles in his first season as a Pelican.
Murray was involved in the biggest mistake and greatest steal by Atlanta
This is an unfair legacy for Murray, who is not a bad player himself. The reason both trades were made was that both teams saw a solid two-way player who could address many of the issues that plagued them. Like Daniels, Murray is one of the youngest All-Defensive selections in league history and was an All-Star in 2022. He single-handedly carried a hopeless Spurs roster to a play-in appearance.
However, neither team accurately assessed Murray's offensive role.
What the Hawks failed to realize before executing the trade is that Murray's offensive value is greatest when he can be a ball-dominant point guard. In his final season as a Spur, Murray was the only competent ball handler on an otherwise horrible Spurs team. When given the freedom to run the show, Murray exploded for 21 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, and a league-high 2 steals per game.
The Hawks already had Trae Young, however, who plays the same role and is simply better than Murray. Young also thrives when given the ball every possession, where he uses his incredible combination of scoring and playmaking talent to create a one-man offense. This relegated Murray to a spot-up shooting guard role, which is just not his game.
Why the Pelicans thought Murray would be a good fit offensively is an excellent question. After seven seasons of evidence, the Pelicans traded for Murray while already having Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Brandon Ingram on the roster. Sure, none of these players are point guards, but they all thrive in isolation and pick and roll opportunities. This led to a clumsy offense where each player took turns attacking the defense, which is proven to be an ineffective way to maximize talent.
Hawks fans should be thankful for New Orleans' mistake. Atlanta used one of the draft picks from the Pelicans for Kristaps Porzingis, who will revolutionize their offense. Daniels is the perfect backcourt sidekick for Young and has the potential to grow into a true star.
The Murray era will be remembered for poor on-court performance from Atlanta. Without him, however, the Hawks likely don't end up with Daniels and Porzingis. Despite the Hawks' failures, Murray gave his all for the Hawks and shouldn't be remembered as the worst trade acquisition for two teams.