It has been nearly six months since the Atlanta Hawks traded Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans.
A lot transpired before the Hawks got to that point, which was just over one year to the day from when they acquired him from the San Antonio Spurs. Most notably, Murray’s pairing alongside Trae Young failed to elevate the Hawks beyond a perennial Play-In Tournament team.
The Hawks did well to land Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr. and valuable draft capital.
Things have been rougher for the Pelicans, and a new report from Marc Stein and Jake Fischer suggests they are nearing the same decision as the Hawks: trading Murray might be the right move.
“While naturally resistant to trade inquiries for their younger gems — Herb Jones, rookie Yves Missi and Trey Murphy III — word is that the Pelicans are essentially open to trade pitches for pretty much anyone else on the roster apart from those three amid a 5-21 start and more injury woe than even Philadelphia,” the insider duo wrote on December 15.
Murray’s Pelicans tenure began rough, with the guard missing 17 games with a broken hand.
The Pelicans have dealt with widespread injuries and are 5-23. And Murray is not explicitly named as a trade candidate with Fischer's "pretty much anyone else" doing a lot of cover work.
But Murray has the fourth-worst on-off differential on the team, per Cleaning The Glass
Murray had a negative differential in both seasons with the Hawks. His 6.9 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game are his best marks since 2021-22 when he was an All-Star with the Spurs. But his 16.4 points per game are his fewest since 2020-21, and his 36.8% shooting mark is a career-low.
Murray has been better over his last six appearances, so perhaps he can get back to the levels he showed in 2023-24 with the Hawks.
Dejounte +1 💪 pic.twitter.com/5cHnsJ4fsi
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 20, 2024
It appears too late for the Pelicans to contend in a tough Western Conference, though.
That does not mean they will trade Murray, surely they did not surrender the assets they did to jump ship less than one year later. But the nature of the NBA is windows to compete close fast and they have several other pressing questions to answer. As with most things, deadlines moves needles.
Pelicans could strike trade for Lakers star Hawks rejected
Murray is in Year 1 of a four-year, $114.2 million contract extension he signed in July 2023. That could be prohibitive under the NBA’s restrictive collective bargaining agreement.
Despite Murray’s $29.5-plus million cap hit this season, all is not lost for the Pelicans.
They just need a team desperate enough to think they are Murray away from righting their ship as they (New Orleans) did. And the Los Angeles Lakers could be that team as they remain perpetually surrounded by trade rumors.
A package of D’Angelo Russell, Max Christie, and Jalen Hood-Schifino would satisfy salary-matching rules.
Would the Lakers send more highly-coveted draft picks to the Pelicans in another blockbuster?
Notably, the Hawks were rumored to be against taking on Russell, who is a poor fit alongside Trae Young and will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
The Hawks are in a different spot than the Pels, though they have been impacted by injuries this season too. They have a little more flexibility thanks to the contracts and skill sets of their current potential trade candidates compared to Murray and the Pelicans.
Murray’s working relationship with Young impacted the decision to trade the former.
A rebuild – yielding Victor Wembanyama – and the Hawks’ stagnation keyed the first trade in 2022.
Injuries could be the impetus this time around. But the result is the same, and it is unfortunate for a player who can do so many things on the floor. At 28 years old, though, it is not like Murray’s career is close to over. So the next trade could be the best one.