5 Best potential landing spots for Dejounte Murray if traded by the Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks surrendered a lot of assets to the San Antonio Spurs for Dejounte Murray in 2022. While the results have been less than expected, the Hawks should be insistent upon recouping most of the value they lost in the initial deal if they decide to trade him this offseason.

Rumors of potential return packages suggest they are highly unlikely to get back as much as they gave up. But coming as close as possible has to be the main objective.

This is especially true in light of their recent star-level deals.

For Murray, though, the chance to compete would likely rank high if not at the top of his list of criteria in a potential landing spot. He is already under contract for the next four seasons, and has reached All-Star status alone. But he has been in the playoffs three times in eight seasons.

To find the best landing spots for Murray, two of the more popular spots – the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs –  were left off. They simply did not hold up to the others.

Hawks’ Dejounte Murray fits the mold for Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau

The New York Knicks make sense as a team fit for Murray. Helmed by long-time head coach Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks embody the grizzled skipper’s competitiveness on both ends of the floor.

They also finished as the second seed in the Eastern Conference during the regular season and made it to the second round of the playoffs despite being severely banged up as a group.

The Knicks boasted the seventh-best offensive rating despite relying heavily on Jalen Brunson.

Brunson and Murray would seem like a similar pairing to the Hawks’ current setup. But the Knicks’ fourth most-used lineup featured Brunson alongside 6-foot-2 Miles McBride, per Cleaning The Glass.

That lineup also featured 6-foot-4 Donte DiVincenzo and 6-foot-5 Josh Hart around lone big man Isaiah Hatenstein and still boasted a defensive rating in the 75th percentile.

Brunson and Murray shot better than 39% on catch-and-shoot threes last season.

A one-for-one swap (plus whatever draft compensation is deemed necessary) that would swap Murray and Julius Randle could work. Randle and Jalen Johnson could be a versatile pair of forwards to put around Young if the Hawks go back to bringing De’Andre Hunter off the bench.

That seems unlikely. But again, this is about the best landing spots for Murray. And with three postseason trips in the last four years, the Knicks might be the best of the bunch.

They also have the assets to acquire him and preserve future flexibility.