Dejounte Murray shares fitting post in reaction to trade from Hawks to Pelicans

The Atlanta Hawks traded Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans for a package of three players and draft capital.

A clip of Hawks star Trae Young made the rounds on social media, with the three-time All-Star on the phone in the immediate aftermath of the deal. He has yet to post a message on the deal that adds length and defense to the Hawks’ roster.

Murray, though, shared his first post with a reference to his new locale.

“NOLA,” Murray posted on X on June 28. “#504.”

“NOLA” is, of course, the abbreviation for “New Orleans, Louisiana”. Meanwhile, 504 is the city’s area code. It is the first olive branch as Murra prepares to join his third NBA franchise since entering the league in 2016.

Murray, who signed a four-year, $114 million contract last June, has previously eschewed trade rumors.  But he recently admitted that the chatter motivated him. 

His posts followed a similar pattern before he was traded to the Hawks.

He was candid about his tenure with the Hawks featuring more turmoil than he expected. He also notably answered questions about being maximized under Head Coach Quin Snyder by noting that the latter was handcuffed due to injuries this season.

The 2020-21 All-Star had criticized the Hawks’ defensive gameplan after their loss to the Chicago Bulls in the Play-In Tournament that ended their season.

He and Young maintained their personal relationship was strong throughout the speculation.

Dejounte Murray trade creates more questions about Hawks' plans

In New Orleans, Murray teams up with former No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson, 2023-24 All-Defensive First-Teamer Herb Jones and fellow standout wing Trey Murphy. The Pelicans also notably still roster rumored Hawks target Brandon Ingram.

The Hawks’ interest in Ingram may have been curtailed by the selection of Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, which may have helped facilitate this deal.

Murray averaged a career-high 22.5 points and shot 36.3% from beyond the arc last season.

The Hawks are also expected to explore trade options with other hefty contracts on the roster, namely Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter. This trade could elevate Bogdan Bogdanovic into the starting lineup, but he too has come up in trade speculation.

Teams can begin talking with outside free agents at 6 p.m. ET on June 30. The Hawks also have several lesser but notable decisions on several of their own free agents.

Saddiq Bey stands out among that group. 

He is expected to become a restricted free agent but is recovering from a torn ACL that will likely see him miss a significant portion of the season. The Hawks have yet to officially tender him an offer to make him a restricted free agent. 

Otherwise, he will be an unrestricted free agent, free to sign with whatever team he pleases and the Hawks would lose him for nothing rather than draft compensation.

The Hawks’ next moves will be very telling about the front office’s intended direction.