The Atlanta Hawks face several major questions as they enter the 2024 offseason. The overwhelming focus, however, remains on Trae Young and Dejounte Murray’s backcourt combo.
The pairing of Young and Murray, two rail-thin lead guards with the potential to be main playmakers, has worked out about as well as predicted. When forced to play off-ball, their offensive abilities suffer. Defensively, neither can stop opposing point guards at the point of attack. Their lack of physical mass keeps them from continuously guarding the lineup.
As a result, the Hawks are anticipated to deal either Young or Murray this offseason.
It’s hardly a new concept; Atlanta was about to trade Murray last summer before extending his deal. The Hawks front management was thought to be keeping an eye on Young’s behavior heading into the offseason because of worries about his intangibles.
Last year, Atlanta was anticipated to keep Young if given the opportunity. That may not be true this time.
NBA Insider Makes Surprising Claims About Hawks Trade Plans
“They’re going to work hard to trade Trae Young. “That is going to happen,” NBC Sports expert Kurt Helin tells Sportnaut’s Jason Burgos.
“But from individuals I’ve talked to throughout the league, these calls generally go something like this,” he says, “‘Trae Young, yeah, what would that [trade] look like? By the way, is Dejounte available? “People in the league prefer Dejounte’s game.”
“Trae Young doesn’t defend, he demands the ball; he scores a lot of points, gets a lot of assists, and will boost your offense — he’s an All-Star [and] borderline All-NBA offensive guy — but there’s a sense that you can’t really construct a true champion around him.
You might use Dejounte.
To Helin’s point, Young has outperformed Murray offensively.
Young, a three-time All-Star, is the Hawks’ all-time leader in career assists and three-pointers. Since being picked in 2018, he has averaged 25.5 points and 9.5 assists per game while shooting 35.5 percent from three. He has been the driving force behind Atlanta’s offense for half a decade.
Before being moved to the Hawks, Murray had his best scoring season, averaging 21.1 points and 9.2 assists per game. That occurred in 2021-22, his only All-Star season. However, despite his long history as an efficient scorer, he is not a natural 3-point shooter. As a result, he has a lifetime shooting percentage of 45.8 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from deep.
Murray did, however, complete 36.3% of his long-distance tries in 2023-24. It was his first season shooting more than 36% from three since 2019-20. When Young was sidelined with a finger injury, he reminded the NBA world that he possessed All-Star quality, averaging 24.5 points and 8.7 assists per game following the All-Star Break.
Despite his preference for midrange shots, he has demonstrated that he is capable of being a go-to player. When you consider that he is a more reliable defender, thanks in large part to how well he uses his 6-foot-10 wingspan, it’s easy to understand why he would be considered simpler to build around than Young.
The Final Word on the Hawks’ Trade Plans
Ultimately, the Hawks should retain Murray.
Given the memorable moments he’s had with the Hawks, it’s hardly the most popular pick among fans. However, business is business, and Atlanta is in the process of developing a championship contender. At this point, it’s evident that dealing Young or Murray is the best route for them to accomplish that.
Murray has surprise emerged as the superior alternative.
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