Dejounte Murray's value has never been lower.
In a recent Sports Illustrated article, Dejounte was characterized as a negative asset. In other words, the Pelicans would need to attach some sort of draft capital/young talent alongside his hefty contract in order to get him off the books.
Not too long ago, the Pelicans traded not only Dyson Daniels, but also two first round picks in order to acquire Dejounte from the Hawks. At the time, fans ridiculed the Hawks for the move, citing moving on too quickly from DJM when his price was quite substantial in the first place (three first rounders to San Antonio).
Murray sustained a tragic Achilles tendon injury late last season, hence his failure to appear in a game to date this year. This is the primary reason behind his depiction as a negative asset. A player incapable of logging minutes – who also earns $30M/yr over the next three seasons, who is also aging past the realm of his prime – is not a player that many front offices desire.
The Pelicans' head coach James Borrego recently revealed that Dejounte remains without a timetable for return. While the Pelicans don't own their first-round pick next year (and are therefore bereft of a reason to tank), the potential of re-injury for the former All-Star is simply too great to ignore.
Dejounte's value should help Hawks fans contextualize Dyson's sluggish shooting
While Dejounte's injury was a gargantuan occurrence of bad luck that seemingly never stops plaguing the New Orleans Pelicans, Hawks fans ought to take this into consideration when judging Dyson Daniels.
Daniels – the primary return for Murray in the deal from yesteryear – is in the midst of one of the worst shooting seasons of all time (from long range). His 10.8% metric from range, factoring in a minimum sample shooting volume, would mark an all-time low metric in the history of the National Basketball Association.
Despite this looming tragedy, Daniels continues to perform amongst the creme de la creme of all NBA defenders. He currently ranks as the best perimeter isolation defender in the entire league, continuing to build on his wonderful DPOY-caliber season from last year.
With the Hawks nowhere near contending shape at present, fans should remain patient with Daniels. He's getting up the shots in practice, and he's not shying away from shooting in-game, which is absolutely vital in his development. If he takes the Ben Simmons route (refusing to shoot entirely), another conversation will need to be had entirely surrounding his future in the league.
Fans should expect a return to mean in Daniels' shooting efficiency – if not this season, then next. Only a season ago, Dyson recorded a 34% conversion rate from range, only slightly below league average.
Give the youngster a little more time.