There will be a lot of handwringing between now and the official start of the NBA offseason.
What will the Atlanta Hawks do with the roster, specifically when it comes to the future of Dejounte Murray and Trae Young as a duo? What should they do and if they should stop there remains a separate but not independent discussion.
If it were up to Atlanta legend and two-time former Hawks guard Lou Williams, they would give it at least one more go.
“I'm torn,” Williams said on “Run It Back” on April 18. “Obviously, Trae is someone I've worked with. I've been part of the Hawks organization. I was a part of that Eastern Conference Finals run, and the core of that group is still there. And so I want to see them be successful. I think they had the tools to do it. I don't know what went wrong … whether it was a chemistry thing, or trying to work in Quin Snyder, or what.
“It's a touchy thing for me. I want to see Trae be a lifelong Hawk. I think he's deserved that. He's done probably everything that he can do being in the position that he's been in, that he's been put in to lead a team, to be the face of a organization, be the face of the city. Trae Young, we consider him in Atlanta one of us, one of our guys.”
Williams’ words run contrary to a popular notion among Young’s detractors: that he is a driving force in the situation around him rather than the participant Williams paints him to be.
For his part, Young’s assertion has long been to bring a championship to Atlanta.
But the whispers about his potential exit have not been quieted, instead reaching a fever pitch at the trade deadline and now as another tumultuous season comes to a close.
“Atlanta and Chicago played, but the winner was the Lakers,” Fox Sports 1’s Coling Cowherd said on “The Herd” on April 18. “Trae Young, my guess, is coming to LA. So they’re gonna add Trae Young, Atlanta is gonna go with Dejounte Murray and it’s very clear.”
Young sparked speculation about the Los Angeles Lakers during last year’s playoffs.
Lou Williams: Dejounte Murray gave Hawks a 'spark'
The Hawks and Lakers also engaged in trade talks for Dejounte Murray before both sides decided against it, perhaps with an eye toward something along these lines happening.
“Dejounte has come in and given the Hawks a spark, something to be excited for,” Williams said. “But they hadn't figured it out together as a unit. Personally, I would like to see them try it one more time. I understand that's not how this business works. Especially when you've seen a level of success, and you know that your team is capable of it and they fall short of that, some decisions have to be made.
“I'm just going to be a fan in this one and just see what happens. But I would love for Trae and Dejounte to get another opportunity, another crack at it. But this business isn't a patient one. So it's an interesting – it's like a weird dilemma.”
Both players are under contract for several more seasons.
Young is going into Year 3 of a five-year, $215 million contract while Murray will begin a four-year, $114 million pact next year.
Show host and insider Shams Charania also reported that Head Coach Quin Snyder has three years (at $8 million per) on his. That gives a potential timeline of when the Hawks would feel even more pressure to make something happen.
But Williams noted and the discourse shows, their decision is coming sooner rather than later.