One of the best backcourt players available for trade is Dejounte Murray of the Atlanta Hawks, a guard who is the subject of ongoing discussion. The Hawks might decide not to trade Murray at all, according to the most recent report regarding the 27-year-old.
NBA Rumors: Quin Snyder Requests Dejounte Murray Stay with the Hawks
“[Atlanta Hawks head coach] Quin Snyder has lobbied the Hawks to keep [Dejounte Murray],” claims NBA insider Marc Stein.
Adding to his recent game-winning performances against the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat in back-to-back sets, Stein says, “Murray has not only played well amid considerable trade noise, but he also possesses a pretty manageable contract based on today’s standards.”
Additionally, according to Stein, there has been a delay in Murray’s trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. The root of the holdup seems to be Atlanta’s desire for Los Angeles to send them Austin Reaves rather than D’Angelo Russell, even if the deal is still regarded as extremely likely.
Although a lot may happen between now and the NBA trade deadline on February 8th, several indicators suggest that Murray will stay with the Hawks.
Despite the possibility of revisiting his trade market in the offseason, Snyder’s advice may be highly valued by Atlanta’s front staff. In addition to being one of the NBA’s most respected coaches, Snyder inked a five-year deal that is estimated to be worth about $8 million every year. Put differently, people think highly of his vision.
In its place, would the Hawks trade Bogdan Bogdanovic?
It’s expected that the Hawks will oppose the idea of dealing veteran wing Bogdan Bogdanovic. Although he hasn’t been entirely dependable on the court, he is shooting 36.9% from three-point range and averaging career-high 17.1 points and 1.4 steals per game.
Trading Bogdanovic seems counterintuitive because he is Atlanta’s most dependable off-ball threat. He is undoubtedly less crucial to the Hawks than Murray, though, as a second-unit player.
Furthermore, his trade value is likely to be higher than that of the oft-injured De’Andre Hunter. It’s likely higher than Clint Capela’s as well, as outside shooting is the premier skill in today’s NBA.
Why Trade Bogdan Bogdanovic?
Trading Bogdanovic might serve the purpose of netting Atlanta a bonafide 3-and-D wing, a player they could start alongside Trae Young and Murray on the perimeter.
In this event, Hunter could be moved to the second unit, making his absences less impactful than they would be otherwise.
Looking around the league, multiple 3-and-D wings could be available for trade:
Among those players, Grimes has been the one most discussed as a real trade target. In fact, the Hawks and Knicks are rumored to have already discussed a trade package that includes Grimes when they tried to reach an agreement on a Murray deal.
Another player who has been mentioned in trade speculations is Moody, mostly because of his potential and discontent with his position in Golden State.
Notably, Moody is six feet six and over 200 pounds, whereas Grimes is six feet five. They should be able to play small forward for the most of their minutes given their physical attributes. Trent and Green, both of whom are six feet five, are in the same boat.
In addition to being well-known for their on-ball defense, Grimes (38.1), Moody (36.2), Green (37.6), and Trent (38.8) had a combined career three-point percentage of over 36%.
Do the Hawks Have to Take the Lead?
