When the Spurs traded Dejounte Murray to the Hawks, it seemed like a great trade for Atlanta. He was considered an ideal teammate for Trae Young.
Instead, San Antonio decided to fully tank and ended up getting the No. 1 overall pick in a draft that landed them Victor Wembanyama. This trade wound up as a savvy move by the Spurs and one that has led to consistent mediocrity for the Hawks.
Now, according to several league insiders, Murray is potentially once again on the trade block.
It isn’t exactly surprising that Young and Jalen Johnson are reportedly the only untouchable players on the roster for Atlanta. The pairing of Young and Murray is not working and it does not make sense to use a lineup that doesn’t have what it takes to win.
"Dejounte Murray is trade eligible starting today…One team that has a level of exploratory interest I'm told, is his former team, the San Antonio Spurs."@ShamsCharania on Dejounte Murray's current situation.
📺: https://t.co/wdT8I0ST8g pic.twitter.com/clX8AebJXn
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 9, 2024
Some potential suitors include the Knicks, Lakers and the 76ers. But, per Shams Charania, another team with registered interest in acquiring Murray is the Spurs.
He could provide a bolster to the backcourt, which has plagued San Antonio all season. Muray could have some interest in a reunion with his former team and his former coach, Gregg Popovich, especially now that Wembanyama is on the roster.
Of course, if there is a Godfather offer presented by San Antonio because they desperately want Murray back on the team, the Hawks should take it.
But why would San Antonio, one of the worst teams in the league, outbid contenders around the league when they aren’t exactly vying for a playoff spot this year?
Based on his value right now, it is unlikely Atlanta would recoup the type of assets they surrendered to initially land Murray. The Hawks sent San Antonio multiple first-round draft picks to acquire the guard and some of this is a sunk cost already.
Perhaps the Hawks would want to reacquire the unprotected pick that they owe the Spurs in 2025 or the pick swaps San Antonio currently controls for both 2026 and 2027.
The problem is that so long as Young is on the roster and fully healthy, it is unlikely that Atlanta could ever bottom out for a high draft pick. So even the ability to regain their draft capital is not as appealing without entering a full rebuild.
San Antonio simply doesn’t have the win-now players that Atlanta would want to play alongside Young. Any move that would send Murray back to the Spurs for pennies on the dollar isn’t worth it.
Maybe one of the other teams like New York, Los Angeles or Philadelphia could offer enough for Atlanta to break up the duo of Young and Murray. But nearly any deal with the Spurs is likely a net loss for the Hawks.
