Hawks trade proposal swaps Dejounte Murray for Pelicans star
“The Hawks could surprise everyone by trading the player who seems less likely to be moved,” Bailey wrote. “In this case, that's Murray, whose playmaking and defensive versatility could bump CJ McCollum back to his natural shooting guard position.”
Murray was named in trade rumors before the deadline, with the Pelicans among the teams interested. They are also expected to re-engage with Atlanta this offseason.
That could present an opportunity for Bailey’s suggestion to swap Murray for Brandon Ingram.
The Hawks are among the teams linked to Ingram in trade rumors this offseason, with the Pelicans expected to seek out trade packages for the one-time All-Star. He averaged 20.8 points and shot 35.5% from deep last season.
Both marks were significant steps back from the 2022-23 campaign as Ingram enters the final year of his four-year, $158.3 million contract.
Ingram was also benched for key stretches of the Pels’ postseason stay.
Murray will begin a four-year, $114 million contract next season. He doesn’t have any options, giving the Hawks or a team that acquires him more control than Young who has an early termination option for the 2026-27 season.
The Hawks would also be giving up on AJ Griffin after one disappointing campaign. He still flashed strong shot-making – including in the clutch – as a rookie in 2022-23.
This deal would also add salary, increasing the payroll by roughly $6.6 million next season.
Grade – B+: It’s unclear how much this would move the needle for the Hawks, but it would add length and diversify their offensive attack.
These deals were designed to split the duo up, but they could also work together, remaking the Hawks roster around the No. 1 pick, 2021 first-round pick Jalen Johnson, and the additional assets returned in the deals.
The Hawks would also still have their role players to package and further reconfigure the roster.
However, the significant increase in payroll without a clearer path to contention in the Eastern Conference could be more than enough reason to avoid such drastic measures.