The Atlanta Hawks are in action against the Miami Heat on Friday, fighting for their postseason lives. This season has seen many changes, and the Hawks began that trend over the offseason, trading Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Murray endured a rough first season in NO, and he expressed joy about being traded from the Hawks to a new situation. However, he and Young maintained their personal relationship.
Ahead of Hawks-Heat, Murray’s father shared a clip of himself tapping in for the game.
“You know who I’m going for Mane,” Murray posted on X on April 18, saying in the video, “Let’s go Trae!”
You know who I’m going for Mane pic.twitter.com/Yanks3IIdX
— Mr. Murray 👑 (@TeamMurray05) April 18, 2025
The Hawks traded Murray for a package that yielded Defensive Player of the Year candidate Dyson Daniels, Cody Zeller and E.J. Liddell – both of whom have since been move – and two first-round draft picks.
They originally acquired Murray during the 2022 offseason, a move both Young and Dejounte Murray wanted.
However, issues balancing the roster left both playing roles they were not best equipped for.
Hawks went back after Dejounte Murray trade
The Hawks reverted to a group that more closely resembles their team from their run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020-21, featuring long defenders – such as Daniels – around the offensive engine in Young.
Atlanta won four more games this season, a mark that makes the decision seem sound, especially considering how young the core of the unit is.
Murray appeared in 31 games in 2024-25.
He missed a long stretch of the season after suffering a broken hand in the opener, and then he tore his Achilles on January 31. The Pelicans floundered as a group this season and have already begun making changes to the front office after roster moves during the campaign.
Young and the Hawks entered halftime trailing the Heat, who also won the last regular-season matchup between the two teams.
The Hawks won three of four games to end the regular season.
However, their final victory came with their backups against those of the Orlando Magic, and then Atlanta lost to its division rival in the first round of the Play-In Tournament. The Hawks will have plenty to address this offseason, one way or another.
In the first half against the Heat, the Hawks shot 37.3% from the floor and were 5-for-21 from three-point range.
Miami boasted a 53.5% mark overall and went 7-for-18 from deep.
The Hawks have typically struggled in the third quarter of games this season, so their 62-53 deficit was more daunting that it might seem in the fast-paced current NBA landscape. It will be interesting to see what moves are next for the Hawks this coming offseason.