Should the Atlanta Hawks be interested in this former lottery pick?

The Atlanta Hawks are looking to make the transition from a play-in team back into the playoffs and they need to make several key moves. One of which may be to take a chance on Josh Giddey.

Sep 23, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields speaks at a press conference at Hawks Media Day. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

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Why the OKC Thunder would take Dejounte Murray for Josh Giddey

To be fair, the Thunder showed their hand with Giddey in the playoffs where they played him less than they did during the regular season. He even did not start two of their ten games. This reduction in minutes also led to a decrease in his productivity.

His lack of 3-point shooting was one of the biggest reasons for the reduced role. That, combined with his below average defense. Given how poorly Murray defended last season, this is not a net loss for the Hawks. However, on a team that defends the way that the Thunder does, Murray will fit right in. He also made 36.3 percent fo his 7.1 attempts from deep last season which is respectable.

Murray is also a gifted ball-handler, can create for others as well as himself, and can rebound at an incredibly high level. On top of this, he has already shown that he can be the man if required to carry an offense, but he is also able to play off the ball This is certainly going to benefit the Thunder immediately

Added to this, Murray is on a team-friendly deal as a star player. He is signed for another four seasons which will give the Thunder a certainly of future they have not had in a while. Team superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is contracted for three more seasons meaning that the Thunder will be at the top of the NBA for the foreseeable future.