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

Why the Atlanta Hawks would trade Dejounte Murray

The Hawks tried to make the Murray/Young backcourt work for two seasons. To say that this has not been successful is an understatement. Then, the Hawks offered Murray a four-year deal with the final year being a player option, worth $120 million which means that they are going to be stuck with this core for too long.

For a player of Murray's caliber, this is certainly a team-friendly deal. Given that the Hawks sent three first-round picks to the San Antonio Spurs as part of the deal for Murray, they would want to get something back if they trade the star for their future. The Thunder would be the best team to make this happen given their plethora of draft picks.

Giddey, for all of his positive points, does not help the Hawks defensively, nor does he space the floor. However, what he does do is provide another option to run the team when Young sits. He can also create when Young is on the floor, meaning that the Hawks will be more difficult to shut down.

With Giddey being in the final year of his deal, the Hawks will gain some salary cap relief both for next season and in the future. As Murray is not working out, getting a playmaker who can help out in other ways on the court as well would be a step in the right direction. The Hawks could then use the remaining space to sign another player, or make another trade to strengthen the roster.