The Hawks‘ trade of Dejounte Murray will make the roster cheaper, more coherent, and a better fit around star guard Trae Young, The Athletic’s John Hollinger writes. However, it’s not clear whether Young remains in the franchise’s long-term plans.
While the roster might fit better together now, the Hawks have gone 161-157 over the past four seasons and don’t necessarily appear any closer to being a contender in the Eastern Conference. However, due to the original acquisition of Murray, the Spurs control the Hawks’ first-round picks for the next three drafts (unprotected in 2025 and 2027 and an unprotected swap in 2026)
That’s why, Hollinger writes, the Spurs are the most logical trade partner for any deal involving Young. San Antonio is looking for an elite point guard to pair with Victor Wembanyama, and the combined salaries of Devonte’ Graham (whose guarantee date was just pushed back), Zach Collins and Tre Jones match Young’s, Hollinger points out.
Outside of Young, offers for the likes of Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter have been lacking, Hollinger hears from league sources, but more moves out of Atlanta are expected.
For now though, this is Young’s team and the trade of Murray allows for more roster flexibility, including unlocking the non-taxpayer mid-level exception as a result of ducking under the luxury tax line.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Heat star Jimmy Butler is planning to play out the 2024/25 season and then opt out of his contract and hit unrestricted free agency next year, without signing an extension. While it isn’t the ideal outcome for either side, it represents a middle ground that allows Butler to bet on himself and buys the Heat time to figure out their future. As William Guillory of The Athletic writes, Miami understands Butler is the key to any postseason success this season. Still, Guillory wonders if it might make more sense to turn the page on the Butler era as the team quietly continues building a strong young core.
- The Heat introduced the newest member of that young core to the media on Friday, with No. 15 overall pick Kel’el Ware making his press debut. “We feel very fortunate that we were able to get the specific player we wanted, that can complement our team, can complement Bam [Adebayo],” Heat president Pat Riley said, per the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang. Ware immediately becomes the tallest player on Miami’s roster.
- The Hornets waiving Seth Curry and declining the team option on JT Thor‘s contract suggest they’re preparing to operate as a cap room team if they lose free agent forward Miles Bridges, Hollinger writes in a separate post. The Hornets could create up to $23MM in cap space if they waive the non-guaranteed contracts of Aleksej Pokusevski and Bryce McGowens.
- The Hornets also introduced draft picks Tidjane Salaün and KJ Simpson on Friday. The duo represents vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson‘s first two pieces of his roster vision and culture. “[Salaün and Simpson] just embody everything that we want to be about,” Peterson said, per The Charlotte Observer’s Roderick Boone. “They are extremely unselfish. They work, they understand the importance of putting the time in. It’s the only way you are going to get the results that you want. They compete and they just have an amazing outlook and approach in terms of how to get better on a daily basis. So these two guys just embody exactly what we want to be about going forward.“
Hawks don’t have talents to compete now.
Hawks to go fully rebuild?
Trade Trae Young for Zach Collins and Tre Jones
Spurs send back all the Hawks picks.
Why would the Spurs essentially give the Hawks a do-over? The Hawks aren’t good and aren’t going to be good – those picks have real value. Just because the Hawks want to take things back, doesn’t mean the Spurs should accommodate.
Trae Young is a very flawed player and isn’t the answer at PG for the Spurs.
Trae Young is one of the best scoring pgs in the league. He is also near the top as a passer. With Sochan and Wemby, the defensive deficiencies of Young will be masked. The addition of Castle will help with that as well. The Spurs need a facilitator and a shooter that will keep the defense from collapsing on Wemby. Maybe San Antonio could send Atlanta back their pick next year and the 2026 swap, but with some protections included (in the top 6 Spurs keep it?) They could include the Bulls Top 10 protected 1st. They would still control the Hawks 2027 pick. Another good thing about Trae Young, is the contract length. He has three years left. That matches up with when Wemby will get his max extension. If the Trae/Wemby pairing didn’t end up going really well, Young would come off the books at the same time Wemby’s new monster deal starts. San Antonio has more than enough picks to take a shot here. The Spurs will still have quite a few picks and swaps owed to them from 2027-2031.
No team with Trae Young as a starter wins a championship and the Spurs know it. He is undersized, plays no D and is streak shooter. There’s zero chance Spurs make the trade described – if anything they would have preferred to get Murray back but the Pelicans overpaid.
Murray would’ve been perfect for the Spurs but he didn’t want to reside in San Antonio – just wasn’t his thing and Pops respected that. But yes, Murray and Vassell in the backcourt together would’ve caused mayhem.
Trae Young has flaws but they can be covered with the right players around him. Don’t forget Trae at 22 years old lead the Hawks to the ECF. Yeah it was a fluke run but they did take the eventual champion Bucks to six games.
If I’m the Hawks I wouldn’t trade him, he’s still young and growing as a player. He’ll only be 26 next season. They can’t replace him, the only player that can replicate what he does offensively was the guy they traded for him.
As far as the Spurs? I cant think of many current options at PG that would be a better fit as long as they acquired the right players at SG, SF and PF. Can you imagine Young with a vertical threat like Wembanyama and vice versa Wemby with a offensive player like Trae, especially so with kick out targets that can shoot? It’d be impossible to defend them on a pick and roll.
Trae’s flaws are on the defensive end, he’s gotten better there but he’ll always be targeted because of his size. If those same guys that can shoot can play a lick of defense though they makeup for his deficiencies on defense and if all
else fails, well than good luck challenging Wemby.
The Spurs shouldn’t wait around forever with a player like Wembanyama, he’s going to be too good to fast for them to spend years tanking. He’s the type of player that will win games in spite of what players are around him and if they wait too long he’ll become impatient and want out.
Trae’s flaws go beyond the defensive end – he’s a turnover machine and an inefficient volume shooter. There’s many reasons why the Hawks have been trying to offload him for multiple seasons, without finding any takers.
Beyond that, building around Wemby means promoting his defensive skills, not using them to offset the poor skills of someone else. Pairing him in a lineup with Trae is simply giving away the advantage you could have otherwise. At this level, there’s no hiding awful players defensively – if there was, Atlanta wouldn’t be trying to get rid of one of the worst.
Who said they were trying to get rid of Trae? They just traded Murray.
They’ve been shopping both for quite a while. Clearly, no takers for Trae.
You are right in some regards. That being said, they have almost certainly had takers, just not at the price point they wanted. They were purposely holding out for the Lakers this season since they would be able to trade more picks and possibly drive up the price.
My guess is the two best suitors remain the Spurs and Lakers. The Lakers getting Knecht and DR opting in might give the Lakers enough to sit still rather than go after Trae. The Spurs on the other hand should be all in on Trae. He would be a perfect fit on that team.
SG is already filled with Vassell. He just got a big pay day a year ago. As for Young, he’d put Pips into cardiac arrest.
Spurs would never do that deal. First off, Young is overrated and doesn’t fit the Pops mold. Second, those picks are going to be more valuable than Young himself as they teeter as a top five pick every year. Spurs can draft the next three years without worry and build for their next dynasty while controlling cheaper, younger players who are actually familiar with the other side of the court. If Young was that desirable, he’d already have been traded before Murray.
DeAndre Hunter and 2 second round picks for Maxi Kleber and Josh Green.
Young Green Risacher Johnson Capela
… Bufkin Bey … Okungwu
Listen to offers on Bogdanovic and Kleber.
But yeah better fits around Trae as I show above I’d also flip Hunter for Josh Green. Gives him a good opportunity to cement a starting position.
Long term tho does this team do anything? Probably not unless Risacher blows everyone away which I cant see happening.
People don’t actually think Trae Young is elite, do they???
Trae Young is a top 10 pg. That might not be elite, but it is at least very good.
Top tier Luka, Steph, Shai, Lillard and Brunson. Trae’s in the next tier with Morant, Fox and Haliburton, Holiday and Jamal Murray. You could argue Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland belongs somewhere in there depending upon one’s definition of a PG.
Spurs first choice at PG = Derrick White. Knows the system, elite D good 3 point shooter and ideal guy to get Wemby the ball when and where he wants it.
“San Antonio is looking for an elite”
Stop right there…
Trae is not elite…
He is elite offensively
He’s just not Brabo. He’s undersized and inconsistent. He’s offense off the bench on a championship team.
He certainly doesn’t start on the top 10 teams in the league. If the Spurs wanted this type of player they’d have kept Dillingham.
@Brabo – he has numbers because of volume, but mortal when it comes to percentages. In that instance, he’s just ordinary. 37% from 3 and 43% overall is not elite.
Trae should definitely ask to be dealt now. But who would trade for him?
Warriors should go get Seth Curry, they need shooting and he is Steph’s brother
So… with Jimmy planning to Opt-out, and PG13 probably staying put or opt-and-trade. Sixers do some 1 year deals and the go after Jimmy on the open market?
Going to be another wasted year of Joel’s prime.
If we can’t add and build around Joel we would be better off (and so would he) blowing this up. I don’t want to, and I’d hate to lose Embiid…but looking at the East we are likely a 7 seed, unless Morey has some magic to work….but I’m not feeling good about our chances right now….hoping I’m wrong, but 42 years of suffering makes me think I’m not lol
I’m not a big Trae guy. But you are missing the boat. If you don’t believe he’s one of best offensive forces in the game. Trae can put up 30 and 15. He’s a closer on Offense. Doesn’t get enough credit for that.
You can help him on D. An elite rim protector is where you start. Hawks had their best yr. Cause Capela was a force on D for that run.
Look at Luka ……. he’s not better than Trae on D. It’s all about team building and team chemistry. Something Hawks have failed at since East Finals run. I like Tyson with Trae. And I get moving Murray. But they didn’t get enough imo. Considering time lines now.
Looks like Hawks will be going to full rebuild. Trae having a great yr. Will make it easier to move him at TD. Hawks are a mess.
Sarr not going there should tell us ALL that.
And Lakers are idiots for not getting Murray. Considering what Hawks got.
He’s overrated. He’s volume. Percentages don’t lie. When you chuck as much as he does, he’s bound to find someone open to get an assist.
Look at his career stats. They are elite
He’s a real PG. That most don’t even see.
Volume. He gets numbers because of volume. Percentages prove it. Elite is Steph, and he’s not Steph.
“He was scheduled to come work out. We had it on the books and then he declined to come work out. I don’t take a large offense to that because it’s nothing novel. This is something agents do.”
Hawks FO …….. on Sarr.
??!!!!!!!!???????????
Why would your agent. Not want you to get #1 money. Or #1 status in the NBA draft.
Did they know Hawks were about to redo team. I mean Washington is doing same thing. So why choose Washington. I want to know more …….. all Hawks fans should be wanting to know more.