5 stars the Atlanta Hawks could trade Dejounte Murray for this summer

The Atlanta Hawks are entering one of their most intriguing offseasons in franchise history. In a shocking turn of events, the Hawks secured the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft despite only holding a 3% chance at the top pick before the lottery.

This news has only fueled more rumors surrounding the potential trades of Hawks stars Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. The NBA rumor mill has provided rumblings of every possibility imaginable.

Many sources believe the Hawks are open to trading one of their star guards. Some think they could opt to trade both. If the Hawks did decide to ship both Young and Murray, they would essentially be committing to a full-blown rebuild with no playoff aspirations in the immediate future.

While a rebuild around a potential No. 1 pick like Alexandre Sarr is not out of the question, there have been talks of Atlanta possibly trading their top pick for current and future draft compensation. Sarr’s ceiling seems promising, but rumors suggest the Hawks may not value the Frenchman like the surefire No. 1 selection many view him as. In fact, new reports suggest the Hawks could go with Donovan Clingan or Zaccharie Risacher.

While he hasn't received as much hype as Sarr, Risacher has a perfect archetype for modern NBA basketball. The 6-foot-9 wing has the versatile build of a player who can guard multiple positions while spacing the floor – with plenty of room to grow at just 19 years old.

The Hawks could also look to build around Young by packaging their coveted No. 1 pick and Dejounte Murray in search of a blockbuster haul of win-now pieces.

The possibilities are endless for the Hawks as they approach a potentially franchise-altering summer. However, it seems more possible than anything that Atlanta will revisit its attempts from the 2024 trade deadline to ship Murray.

Besides, the Hawks could regret leaving Sarr or Risacher on the table. As Hawks general manager Landry Fields recently told the media, the team is “planning on picking one” as of now.

During their short time as a duo, Young and Murray have only won one playoff game in two years while compiling a 55-62 record together. Each player needs the ball in his hands to truly dominate, which has turned the Young/Murray Hawks into a team marred by poor ball movement. Despite the presence of two individually gifted playmakers, the 2023-24 Hawks ranked bottom-ten in passes per game and No. 15 in assists per game.

The Hawks need to make a change, and that change could come from dealing Murray.

Here are 5 stars the Hawks could trade Dejounte Murray for this summer.

1) Brandon Ingram

Brandon Ingram has received a fair share of criticism during his exciting but frustrating time with the New Orleans Pelicans. The talented forward has dealt with some injury issues as a Pelican, missing at least 20 games in four of his five seasons with the team.

In the playoffs, Ingram has never led the Pels past the first round. In New Orleans’ recent first-round exit, Ingram averaged just 14.3 points on an ice-cold 34.5% from the field. He only sank 25% of his 3-point attempts and averaged just 3.3 assists to 2.3 turnovers in a 4-0 loss.

Ingram might need a change of scenery as much as any star in the league. It feels like the former All-Star is a seasoned veteran thanks to his eight years of NBA experience, but he is still just 26 years old. In his five seasons and 287 games as a Pelican, Ingram has averaged 23.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on 57.7% true shooting.

The Hawks could use some extra scoring and playmaking on the wing. Despite his growth as a two-way specialist for Atlanta, Deandre Hunter leaves much to be desired – especially for a No. 4 pick.

Ingram would provide Atlanta with a clear upgrade at small forward while bringing a blend of scoring and passing that the Hawks have not seen in their frontcourt for years. Ingram has never played with a point guard as talented as Trae Young, and he has not played with an All-Star floor general since he shared the court with recent NBA champion Jrue Holiday. Holiday’s last season as a Pelican coincided with Ingram’s first and only All-Star campaign.

Ingram could easily flourish with the Hawks as a No. 2 scoring option next to one of the best floor generals in the NBA.