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In something of a freefall, the struggling Hawks are likely to be one of the busiest teams on the trade market. And this is with good reason; they have a superstar guard coming up to his prime, not much else going well around him, defensive shortcomings, positional imbalances, and some veterans who could be moved on for a quick reload.
With this in mind, rumors that the Hawks are willing to trade everyone except Trae Young make sense. One player gaining particular traction is Dejounte Murray, expensively acquired to be Young’s backcourt partner 18 months ago yet not covering for his defensive inefficiencies as much as was hoped. With his $114 million extension about to kick in as he enters his prime years, the market for Murray is hotter now than it will ever be, at a time when his team needs to make a trade as much as they have ever done.
That hot market should give the Hawks a good degree of leverage, given the number of suitors that the young veteran All-Star will corral on the market. Murray is much desired, if not necessarily so in Atlanta. That said, because of the hefty price in draft capital paid to acquire him that will still be felt until 2027, a quality yield will also be required to not cap the franchise’s ceiling. (A replacement ball-handler will likely also need returning, to not create a different roster imbalance).
Beyond Murray, veterans Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela, and De’Andre Hunter should also be considered available, particularly Capela, for whom Onyeka Okongwu is readily available to take over full-time. The expiring $6,802,950 salary of the surplus Patty Mills can facilitate trades, as can the $23,019,560 remainder of the giant trade exception created through John Collins’ trade to Utah in the summer. Atlanta, then, should be having a busy month, as there is no value to be had in standing pat.
