Grade the trade: Hawks pitch flips Dejounte Murray, more for championship trio

The Atlanta Hawks can go in many different directions this offseason. 

The notion that their plans should include trading one or both of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray this offseason has not disappeared with several possible landing spots and packages floating around the rumor mill.

Barring a sudden change of heart, tanking remains an unlikely outcome given they do not control their own draft picks for several seasons thanks to trading for Murray.

Sending Murray and Young to destinations like the Orlando Magic or Charlotte Hornets as Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley suggests would likely yield returns that help the Hawks in the future more than the intermediate.

However, Buckley does suggest a trade sending Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic to the Golden State Warriors for a package featuring Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, and Jonathan Kuminga.

Hawks land Warriors trio in proposed trade

This pitch is geared towards helping the Warriors regain their championship form.

However, as last season showed, the Hawks could use more quality depth as much as star power. This deal brings in a trio of players with a championship pedigree.

Kevon Looney, 28, is expected to be released, per The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami. He averaged 4.5 points and 5.7 rebounds, ceding playing time to 2023 second-round pick Trayce Jackson-Davis last season. The 6-foot-9 center is entering the final year of a two-year, $22.5 million contract.

His deal is only partially guaranteed for $3 million of his $8 million salary until June 24.

Andrew Wiggins, 29, averaged 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting 35.8% from beyond the arc last season.

He is entering Year 2 of a four-year, $109 million pact and will count $26.2 million against the salary cap next season. That is the highest hit in this hypothetical deal, beating Murray who checks in at $25.3 million in Year 1 of his four-year, $114 million pact. 

Wiggins also has a $30.2 million player option for the final season. 

Jonathan Kuminga is only on the books for $7.7 million next season. But he is due for new money, with 2024-25 the final season of his four-year, $24.8 million rookie contract.

Kuminga is headed for restricted free agency after the 2024-25 season, giving whatever team he is on at season’s end control over his playing future. That could allay some concerns of having to give him a new contract.

Looney and Wiggins’ defense and rebounding have been storylines during title runs and even NBA Finals.

Kuminga has begun to marry his natural athletic ability with a refined skill.

Buckley notes both teams would need to undergo some cost-cutting measures to make the trade allowable, though that is a far greater issue for the Warriors than the Hawks. This deal would shave roughly $600,000 from the Hawks’ bottom line.

Grade – A: Despite this deal being geared toward boosting the Warriors, it fills out the Hawks’ roster and give them even more flexibility if they pivot.