5 Dejounte Murray trades Hawks GM Landry Fields should explore

Proposed trade takes advantage of Lakers’ Klutch connection

There was some buzz about Trae Young and the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason after the Hawks star popped up at the Western Conference rival’s Game 6 playoff matchup against the Golden State Warriors.

But Marc Stein of the Stein Line reports the Hawks are eyeing ways to upgrade the roster around Young.

That doesn’t mean they cannot lean into a similar connection with Murray.

He is also represented by Klutch Sports Group, a fact that is believed to be a significant hurdle in the Knicks’ interest. There is no such issue with the Lakers who roster the two most famous Klutch clients in LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

D’Angelo Russell could very well prove to be a better fit alongside Young, at least offensively where his ability to shoot supersedes Murray’s.

He was benched due to porous defense and inefficient scoring, though.

Russell is best viewed in this deal as salary-matching fodder. Any value that he provides on the court would be a bonus if he isn’t immediately re-routed. The Hawks are already hard-pressed for roster spots, though, and this deal would mean two players had to be waived or otherwise removed from the 15-man. 

Max Christie and Maxwell Lewis are both intriguing young prospects. But the real value would be in the draft picks that should are far out, but also should come after James has moved on to retirement.

Those picks have long been viewed as some of the most valuable in the league and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul would be able to help three of his star clients simultaneously.