Dejounte Murray reveals telling reaction to trade from Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks trade sending Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans for a package consisting of four role players – one of whom is no longer with the team – and two first-round picks is widely projected to lead to a step back for Trae Young and Co.

ESPN projects them to win 31 games, five fewer than they did in 2023-24 which was their fewest mark since 2019-20.

That was also the last time they missed the playoffs before 2023-24.

Murray joins a Pelicans squad coming off its second postseason appearance in the last three seasons, and he is happy to do so. New York Knicks wing Josh Hart spent two plus seasons in New Orleans following a trade by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019.

Hart insisted on “The Roommates Show” podcast with teammate Jalen Brunson that “no one” would ever say they were “happy” to get traded to New Orleans.

Murray soundly disagreed.

“S*** I Can’t RELATE!!!” Murray posted on X on August 23. “NOLA I Been Smiling Since That MF Trade Happen On My Mama!!!”

The Hawks traded Murray after what the 2021-22 All-Star admitted was an unexpectedly tumultuous two seasons. He and Young’s fit on the floor was the subject of much consternation, with Murray acknowledging the challenges of playing two point guards together.

The duo maintained their off-the-court relationship was as strong as it was before.

There still appears to be no love lost from Murray’s side about moving on from a period that saw him play out of position but still post strong individual numbers.

Dejounte Murray sought team success over individual accolades

Murray set career-highs averaging 22.5 points on 55.5% true shooting. He also shot 36.3% on a career-high 7.1 three-point attempts per game. Murray even went on a tear during Young’s extended injury absence. But he was adamant and even clashed with fans over wanting wins over stats.

Speculation about the Hawks’ intentions to break the duo up lingered the entire season.

There was a point when it seemed Young would be the one on the move. That proved to be untrue, and the three-time All-Star’s salary could play nearly as significant of a part as the questions about his fit on a championship-caliber roster.

Young is in Year 3 of a five-year, $215.1 million contract. He will cost $43 million in 2024-25 and has a $48.9 million early termination option for 2026-27.

That adds a bit of a timeline for the Hawks to make it work.

Murray is beginning a four-year, $114 million contract extension signed in July 2023. He will count $29.5 million against the salary cap in 2024-25. He has a player option for the final season in 2027-28 worth $31.6 million.

The Hawks were 72-80 with Murray in the lineup. Interestingly enough, Murray’s usage rate in 2023-24 was also the second-highest of his career, per Basketball Reference. 

His mark during his Hawks tenure was 2.1% higher than in his time with the San Antonio Spurs.

There are still questions about the overall fit alongside Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum in New Orleans. But Murray at least has embraced the next chapter of his career just as he did his time with the Hawks.