Potential Dejounte Murray Trade Packages If Atlanta Decides To Move On

The Atlanta Hawks find themselves at a crossroads.

Atlanta found themselves in the play-in tournament for the third straight season after making the conference finals, except this time, they did not make the playoffs. The backcourt pairing of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray is coming under a lot of scrutiny and most think that the Hawks have a decision to make one way or the other.

When looking at the situation, it is hard to know what the Hawks are going to do. They were trying to trade Murray at the deadline, but could not make a deal. They could also get more for Young in a trade, meaning they could decide to build around Murray. It is going to be one of the biggest decisions that a team makes this offseason.

If Atlanta opts to trade Murray and keep Young, what are some trades that could work for the Hawks? Let's break them down.

1. Atlanta sends Murray to Orlando for Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac

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This is the one trade that might intrigue me the most if I am the Hawks. I also don't think Orlando would give both of these players up, but Atlanta should at least try.

If Atlanta does opt to keep Young and trade Murray, getting better on defense and getting more athletic have to be the priorities. Suggs and Isaac are two of the best defenders in the game and would fit well alongside Young and Jalen Johnson. They are both All-Defensive level of defenders and Suggs would be excellent at the point of attack. A potential lineup of Young, Suggs, Johnson, Isaac, and Onyeka Okongwu has the potential to cover up for Young's shortcomings on defense and make the Hawks a better all-around team.

The trick would be getting both of them. Orlando prides itself on being a strong defensive team, but they need guard help in the worst way, as evidenced by their game one loss to Cleveland on Saturday. Putting Murray with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner would give the Magic a lift on offense and could get them to the next level. This should be a call that the Hawks make.

2. Atlanta sends Murray and Capela to New Orleans for Brandon Ingram and Dyson Daniels

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I think this trade could be dependent on how New Orleans does in the playoffs without Zion Williamson. Brandon Ingram is now going to be the No. 1 option and if the Pelicans want any shot of upsetting the Thunder, Ingram is going to have to have a fantastic series. If he does, I think that would make New Orleans reluctant to trade him. If Oklahoma City dominates, then the Pelicans might decide it is time to change some things.

New Orleans needs to get better at the guard spot and there were talks of them being interested in Murray at the trade deadline this past year. The two things that New Orleans nees the most is a lead guard and a better rim protector. Capela and Murray would give them that.

Ingram is the kind of wing player that the Hawks should be trying to put around Young. He is not a great defender, but a really good ball handler and shooter, as well as an offensive creator. Daniels would be a nice get in this trade as a defensive piece to put beside Young.

Another thing to factor in this is that New Orleans has never payed the luxury tax and Ingram is going into the last year of his deal next season. That might make them want to trade him and get something back. I could see the Pelicans wanting Oneyka Okongwu instead of Capela, but I think Atlanta will want to hold onto him if possible.

3. Hawks Trade Murray to the Lakers for Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2029 1st round pick, 2030 first-round pick

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This might seem like a lot for Dejounte Murray, but the Lakers were rumored to want him at the deadline and it was for a package similar to this one:

This is from February:

"According to The Athletic's Jovan Buha, who covers the Lakers,"The Murray buzz is only increasing — and to noisy levels. The Lakers and Hawks have discussed potential frameworks of a deal, including a version late last week that centered on Russell, Hood-Schifino, the 2029 first-round pick and additional draft compensation, according to multiple team and league sources. Talks have since stalled, but are expected to pick back up closer to the deadline."

I don't think the Hawks want Russell, even though he just had a good season. He is just a terrible fit next to Young and would make the Hawks worse.

I am sure Atlanta would want Austin Reaves, but Los Angeles has been reluctant to give him up.

The best part of this trade for the Hawks is the draft picks by far. Hachimura is a nice complementary player, but is not a great long term piece. Hood-Schifino is a project player who the Hawks had a chance to draft this past year but did not.

I don't see this trade coming to fruition. I don't think this is the kind of trade package Atlanta is looking for and I don't think Murray is going to be the first target for the Lakers this offseason. If neither team can find a trade though, they might circle back around to this trade.

4. Atlanta Sends Murray, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and their 2024 First to Minnesota for Karl-Anthony Towns

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Bare with me here.

This could be a big swing Atlanta could take to pair another star with Young and while it is not a perfect fit, I can't guarantee that Atlanta won't try it.

Minnesota is fixing to run into some salary cap problems and also doesn't have a lot of draft capital for the future. If they don't make a deep playoff run, they might look different next year and one of those ways is trading KAT. While he is really talented, Minnesota has played well without him and he is the player that has the most trade value.

There are a few reasons I don't think this would happen.

I don't think Towns is the best player to put next to Young because of his defense and while the offense might be elite, I don't see how the Hawks will be any different with him in terms of the end result.

For Minnesota, would this be enough? Murray would fit well with Edwards and Bogdanovic would be great to bring off the bench, but they might not value those players. It is an interesting trade idea though and one I won't completely rule out.

5. Atlanta Sends Murray to Either Brooklyn, Utah, or San Antonio for draft compensation...

I am just going to bundle these three teams together because I think the trade packages are similar and Murray was connected to all of these teams leading up to the trade deadline.

Brooklyn is a tough team to read because all they have to offer is draft picks and I think Atlanta is going to be looking for immediate help for Young in this scenario. They could offer Ben Simmons expiring contract, but that is not a positive at the moment.

Would Utah use some of their draft capital to make a move for Murray? It seems like Utah is holding out for a bigger move and I don't think Atlanta will be interested in any of their players aside from Lauri Markkanen, who I don't think they are going to move.

San Antonio was rumored to be interested in a potential reunion with their old point guard, but I don't think they are going to be willing to part with the draft capital that Atlanta gave them. These teams are the least likely, but they were rumored to be interested in Murray leading up to the deadline so they are worth mentioning.

Could a surprise team emerge for Murray? It is possible, but one does not come to mind. Could the Miami Heat or Philadelphia 76ers strike out on their bigger trade targets and try to acquire Murray? It is possible, but very unlikely. Atlanta has some options if it chosses to move Murray, but some stand out more than others.