Dejounte Murray could be on the move soon.
In a Friday appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Shams Charania of The Athletic revealed that “teams around the league” expect the Atlanta Hawks guard to be the subject of trade conversations “over the next week or so” (9:50 mark).
Charania added that Murray “makes sense” for the Los Angeles Lakers as the team attempts to pursue another deep postseason run led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Hawks failed to meet expectations during the 2023-24 season, finishing with a 36-46 record and missing the playoffs. With the underwhelming star backcourt of Trae Young and Murray still in place, Atlanta may choose to split up the duo.
On April 9, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the team would “likely” trade either Young or Murray during the offseason.
After the Hawks won the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft lottery, general manager Landry Fields could move Murray and re-tool the roster around Young with an emphasis on youth.
As for the Lakers, they’ll shift their focus towards shaping the roster around James and Davis following the head coaching hire of JJ Redick on Thursday. Murray could be an ideal fit next to the two superstars, as he’s grown more comfortable without the ball in his hands. During his 2023-24 campaign, he connected on 39.2 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes (via NBA.com).
With the Hawks expected to engage in trade discussions involving Murray ahead of the draft on June 26, the Lakers may be one of the teams in the mix.