Grade the trade: 2 proposed offseason deals to break up the Hawks star backcourt
A pair of trade pitches would see the Atlanta Hawks split up their dynamic backcourt duo of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.
The Atlanta Hawks promise to offer plenty of intrigue this offseason.
They still have the Play-In Tournament and, they hope, playoffs to look forward to. But as soon as their postseason stay ends, all eyes will be on Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.
The duo has dismissed trade rumors and tried to play up their relationship behind the scenes. But rumors persist that the Hawks will at least explore parting with one or even both of its All-Star guards this summer.
That has naturally led to a slew of ideas, including a pair that bring back to vastly different packages.
“If the Hawks choose to keep Trae Young this summer and want to build a winner around him, moving Murray for another star is the best pathway to doing so,” Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz wrote on April 11. “The Pelicans represent an intriguing partner.”
Swartz suggests a hypothetical trade package of Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic to land Pelicans star Brandon Ingram and rookie Jordan Hawkins.
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The Hawks explored trading Murray at the deadline, and assistant coach Mike Brey said during a radio interview that the organization would examine the possibility this offseason.
“An offensive one-two punch of Young and Ingram would become a nightmare for opponents to stop, especially with Hawkins' three-point shooting added in,” Swartz wrote. “The 26-year-old Ingram has had to take a step back offensively with so many scorers in New Orleans but could return to or even surpass his numbers of last season … in a new role with Atlanta.”
Bogdanovic and Murray rank third on the Hawks in three-point attempts per game this season.
Working in favor of this deal, the Hawks would still boast Young, De’Andre Hunter, and Saddiq Bey when healthy as top options from the perimeter with various supporting players.
Ingram is a one-time All-Star and career 36.2% shooter from deep. But he does have four seasons in which he shot at least 38.1% from outside, including 39% in 2022-23. A former No. 2 overall pick in 2016, he would add a dynamic option on offense.
Hawkins was the No. 14 overall pick in the 2023 draft.
He is shooting 36.6% from deep and plays with a similar aggression to Murray. It’s fair to wonder how much the Hawks need that given No. 15 overall pick Kobe Bufkin’s presence.
This deal would shave roughly $2.2 million off the bottom line. And Ingram’s five-year, $158.2 million contract expires three years sooner than Murray’s four-year, $114 million pact. But that only means they would have to re-up with Ingram while Murray’s deal is viewed as a bargain.
The potential outgoing duo’s bond with Head Coach Quin Snyder undermines this idea too.
Grade: B-. A lack of draft capital belies the intrigue of pairing Ingram with Young.