Dejounte Murray Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Latest On Dejounte Murray

January 11th, 2024 at 2:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Hawks guard Dejounte Murray has a “substantial” group of teams interested in his services in early trade talks around the NBA, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who hears from sources who say Atlanta seems focused on retooling its roster for a playoff push rather than rebuilding.

As Fischer explains, the Spurs continue to be linked to Murray, but they likely don’t have the types of players that would appeal to Atlanta in a possible deal. The Bulls discussed the concept of a Zach LaVine trade for Murray, but the Hawks didn’t show much interest in that idea, sources tell Fischer.

Multiple league personnel view the Nets as an “ideal” landing spot from Murray’s side of the equation, but Brooklyn hasn’t had serious conversations about Murray, and the team doesn’t seem to be actively pursuing him right now, says Fischer.

Fischer hears rivals view Murray as a “true plus” on defense, though his reputation on that end “may have been overstated” in recent seasons. Murray’s four-year, $111MM+ contract extension (it kicks in next season) is viewed as relatively team-friendly, given the 27-year-old’s talent level, Fischer adds.

According to Fischer, the Hawks have been aggressive in reaching out to opposing teams “with actual trade concepts” instead of “general interest in specific players.” Five teams are viewed as Murray suitors ahead of the trade deadline: the Lakers, Knicks, Sixers, Heat and Pistons.

Here’s more from Fischer on Murray and his potential suitors:

The Lakers continue to say they don’t want to trade Austin Reaves, sources tell Fischer. A deal for Murray could transpire if they include Reaves, according to Fischer, but L.A. may want Atlanta to sweeten the pot a little too in that scenario. D’Angelo Russell, on the other hand, has not been valued by rival teams in trade discussions.
The Knicks are looking for depth at point guard and center, per Fischer. While recent reports have indicated that Murray’s agent — Rich Paul of Klutch Sports — would prefer not to deal with New York, Fischer hears Murray is “in favor of a fresh start,” and those same reports said Paul would help facilitate a deal if his client asked for it. Still, Fischer wonders if the fit of Murray and Jalen Brunson would be any more fruitful than Murray’s pairing with Trae Young. The Hawks have valued Quentin Grimes in previous trade talks, Fischer adds.
The Sixers aren’t in a rush to move their draft assets, sources tell Fischer, but they have been “conducting due diligence” on point guards, though Wizards veteran Tyus Jones doesn’t appear to be on their list. Fischer suggests if Philadelphia and Atlanta do discuss Murray, a deal probably won’t come together until closer to the deadline. The Sixers aren’t expected to be trade suitors for Zach LaVine or Pascal Siakam, Fischer reports.
The Heat appear to be looking for ball-handlers, so Murray makes some sense, but Fischer hears the two Southeast rivals haven’t had any “substantive” talks after initial conversations.
The Pistons sit in last place, but their historically inept season could make them more willing to consider bold moves, Fischer writes, noting that Detroit is also interested in Siakam. Still, “smaller tweaks” are considered a more likely outcome, per Fischer.

Trade Rumors: Siakam, Pacers, Walker, Kings, Hawks, Pistons

January 10th, 2024 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers are viewed by some rival executives as the leader in the Pascal Siakam sweepstakes, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Indiana has long been in the market for a power forward who can match up with bigger wings and forwards, and reportedly made an effort to land OG Anunoby before the Raptors sent him to New York. The Pacers also control all their own future first-round picks and have some intriguing youngsters whom they could be willing to discuss in a deal for an impact player.

However, during a Q&A session on Threads today, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said that he believes the Pacers are “very, very determined” not to include their 2023 lottery pick Jarace Walker in a trade. Walker hasn’t played much so far this season, logging just 100 total minutes across 12 NBA appearances, but Indiana is “very high” on the rookie forward, per Wojnarowski.

Here are a few more trade-related rumors and notes from around the NBA:

Siakam doesn’t view Sacramento as a good long-term fit for him, according to Amick, who hears from a pair of league sources that the Kings should have “very little, if any, optimism” about re-signing the Raptors forward if he’s traded there. No matter where he eventually ends up, Siakam will be seeking a long-term, maximum-salary contract, Amick adds.
Elsewhere in his Q&A on Threads, Wojnarowski says that he believes the Hawks are open to “almost anything” at the trade deadline and suggests that the Trae Young/Dejounte Murray backcourt pairing appears to have run its course. Atlanta continues to discuss Murray trade possibilities with teams around the NBA, according to Wojnarowski.
The Pistons haven’t made any roster moves since team owner Tom Gores promised that changes were coming, but it’s not for lack of trying, Wojnarowski writes on Threads. Woj suggests that potential trade partners may not be ready to deal yet and says he expects Detroit to make trades by next month’s deadline that change the make-up of the roster. Exploring that subject, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic took a look at some possible trade targets for the Pistons, discussing Nets forward Royce O’Neale and Warriors wing Andrew Wiggins, among others.

Spurs Reportedly Have Exploratory Interest In Dejounte Murray

January 9th, 2024 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs are among the teams with a “level of exploratory interest” in Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, Shams Charania of The Athletic stated on FanDuel TV (Twitter video link via Noah Magaro-George of The Vic-And-Roll).

The 29th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Murray spent his first six NBA seasons in San Antonio before being traded to Atlanta during the 2022 offseason, so the Spurs are obviously very familiar with him as a person and a player. And multiple reports have suggested that the Hawks are open to inquiries on the 2022 All-Star.

The Spurs are also on the hunt for an answer at point guard to pair with No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama. The team appears to view last season’s starter Tre Jones as a better fit as a long-term backup and has tried youngsters like Jeremy Sochan and Malaki Branham in the point guard role so far this season, with mixed results.

Still, within his own report, Charania seemingly downplays the likelihood of San Antonio making a move to reacquire Murray. The 5-30 Spurs are still in the early stages of their rebuilding process and while they have a plethora of draft assets, they presumably won’t be eager to give up several of those picks to acquire a veteran who’s already in his prime.

“I think they’re going to take a very patient approach in their building process,” Charania said. “There’s not a real level of urgency, of going out there immediately. They’re going to be patient. They’re going to pick and choose their spots, whether that’s this season, in the summer, next season. There’s not a real urgency, but they have a runway to make things happen potentially if they want to.”

In the event that Atlanta and San Antonio do discuss a Murray deal, the Hawks would likely be motivated to reacquire their 2025 and 2027 first-rounders, which they gave up when they initially traded for the standout guard.

Getting those picks back would give Atlanta more flexibility in future trades (due to the Stepien Rule) and would put the Hawks in a better position to take a step back in their own building process if necessary, since they wouldn’t have to worry about potentially shipping a lottery pick to the Spurs.

Stein’s Latest: Carter, Jazz, Hawks, Murray, Sixers, More

January 5th, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Rory Maher

In his latest Substack article, Marc Stein reports that Magic center Wendell Carter is a “player to monitor” ahead of the February 8 trade deadline.

As Stein explains, Orlando has played above expectations through 34 games (the team is currently 19-15), but it has a deep frontcourt featuring Carter, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner, Goga Bitadze and Jonathan Isaac. Carter has only appeared in 13 games due to hand and knee injuries, and has been coming off the bench of late after he returned.

Those factors, plus needing to eventually re-sign or extend Franz Wagner and Banchero beyond their rookie scale contracts, has led rivals to believe that Carter will be available this winter, Stein writes.

A former lottery pick who is still just 24 years old, Carter has been a productive starter for the Magic the past few seasons and is on a fairly team-friendly contract, which will pay him $35.85MM over the next three seasons (it declines annually, down to $10.85MM in 2025/26). However, he has also missed at least 18 games in every season of his six-year career due to a variety of injuries.

Here are some more trade rumors from Stein:

It has been reported multiple times that the Jazz were expected to be sellers ahead of the trade deadline, but they’ve gone 9-3 over their past 12 games and are currently 16-19, a game out of the final play-in spot in the West. That rise up the standings has rival front offices wondering what Utah will do now, per Stein. League sources tell Stein that John Collins is one player the Jazz are continuing to try and move, though it’s unclear how much success they’ll have after acquiring him in the offseason in a salary dump.
Stein confirms recent reporting from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports about the Hawks, who are actively involved in trade conversations regarding Dejounte Murray and possibly several players on the roster outside of Trae Young and Jalen Johnson. Bogdan Bogdanovic is expected to be widely coveted by rival teams, according to Stein.
Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report said in a live stream on Friday that the Sixers and Lakers could be eventual Murray suitors, and the Knicks have been “increasingly” linked to the former All-Star guard, Stein adds.
The Sixers are unlikely to pursue Zach LaVine or Pascal Siakam, with the team looking to take a “thoughtful” approach at the deadline, according to Stein, who gets a “strong sense” that Philadelphia will likely make moves around the edges if it makes more in-season trades.
Multiple reporters have linked the Lakers to LaVine, but Stein continues to hear they haven’t been interested — at least to this point — in taking on his long-term money. The two-time All-Star is in the second season of a five-year, $215MM contract.

Fischer’s Latest: Hawks, Murray, Knicks, Wizards, Celtics

January 5th, 2024 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

Echoing recent reporting from Adrian Wojnarowski, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports confirms that the Hawks are “certainly open for business” ahead of the trade deadline and says Atlanta has been one of the NBA’s most active teams in recent trade conversations.

According to Fischer, the Hawks have told multiple teams in recent discussions that the only untouchable players on their roster are guard Trae Young and forward Jalen Johnson. Notably missing from that group is guard Dejounte Murray, whom Atlanta has “made widely available,” sources tell Yahoo Sports.

While the pairing of Murray and Young in their backcourt hasn’t been as successful as the Hawks hoped, the former Spur would presumably still have significant value on the trade market, in large part due to the relatively team-friendly four-year extension he signed during the offseason. That deal, which begins in 2024/25, can be worth up to $120MM with incentives.

Pointing out that the Hawks control their own 2024 first-round pick and owe their 2025 first-rounder to San Antonio, Fischer suggests that it’s possible the team will move some veterans this year, add a 2024 lottery pick to a core headed by Young and Johnson, and look to get back to the playoffs next season.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Knicks made some calls to potential trade partners about veteran big men following Mitchell Robinson‘s injury, per Fischer, but after they added Precious Achiuwa in their trade with Toronto, rival executives now think the Knicks may be more focused on exploring backcourt trade targets ahead of the deadline. Fischer mentions Alec Burks of the Pistons and Malcolm Brogdon of the Trail Blazers as a couple possibilities, though it’s unclear if New York has actually expressed interest in either player.
The Wizards have let teams know that they’re open to trading veterans for draft assets, sources tell Fischer. That list of veterans may include Kyle Kuzma, who signed a new four-year contract with the club last summer, though there’s a sense that Washington would seek multiple first-rounders for the forward, Fischer writes.
The Celtics are expected to hang onto big man Luke Kornet through this weekend’s salary guarantee date, according to Fischer, who says that the team’s other non-guaranteed players – Svi Mykhailiuk, Dalano Banton, and Lamar Stevens – are also more likely than not to stick around through that deadline. Fischer adds that rival front offices are preparing for Boston to explore trades that improve the team’s bench.
In case you missed it, we also rounded up a few Pascal Siakam-related rumors from Fischer in a separate story.

Knicks Notes: Anunoby Trade, Murray, Barrett, Quickley

December 31st, 2023 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks will remain active on the trade market after acquiring OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn from Toronto on Saturday, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Having previously named Dejounte Murray as a possible Knicks trade target, Scotto reports that New York is still interested in Murray following this weekend’s deal. However, the team would no longer be able to offer Immanuel Quickley, who might have been a key piece of any outgoing package for the Hawks guard.

Scotto also spoke to multiple NBA executives to get their thoughts on the Anunoby trade for the Knicks. One of those execs questioned whether it might have been overpay, but acknowledged that the team remains well positioned to make another big move and said that justified the decision to part with two talented scorers in Quickley and RJ Barrett. A second exec is curious to see what New York’s front office has up its sleeve for its next move.

“There’s not a lot of shot creation for other players on the roster now, and there’s a lot of pressure on (Jalen) Brunson,” the exec told Scotto. “I get why New York made the trade. The team was playing selfishly. Anunoby is a better fit with what they have than Barrett.”

Here’s more on the Knicks and their latest trade:

The Knicks players who weren’t involved in Saturday’s deal had mixed feelings about the move, as Peter Botte of The New York Post details. “This probably for me is one of the toughest ones just because of the relationship I built with those two,” Julius Randle said, referring to Barrett and Quickley as “little brothers” and suggesting he’ll continue to root for them. Taj Gibson expressed excitement for the addition of Anunoby but said that it “kind of sucked” to say goodbye to the two departing Knicks: “I’ve been around them since they came into the league. Great young men. It’s just tough, one of the tough parts about the business. Being able to see them this morning and talk, it was tough.
Zach Kram of The Ringer, John Hollinger of The Athletic, and Keith Smith of Spotrac took a closer look at the five-player trade from both the Knicks’ and Raptors‘ perspectives, breaking down why it could be a win-win move for the two Atlantic rivals. Smith also explores each team’s financial situation and considers how new deals in 2024 for Anunoby and Quickley will affect their cap outlooks going forward.
Frustration about roles and playing time had been mounting in the Knicks’ locker room, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, which is one key reason why the front office was motivated to make a consolidation trade sooner rather than later. Within Katz’s story, which examines the trade in greater detail, he cites league sources who say the Knicks and Celtics briefly discussed a deal centered around Quickley and Marcus Smart in the offseason before Smart was sent to Memphis. In other words, the team has been mulling swapping Quickley for an elite defender for a while.

Pacific Notes: Booker, Vogel, Ishbia, Murray, James

December 26th, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Devin Booker says head coach Frank Vogel and the team’s leaders share the responsibility of turning the Suns’ fortunes around, Erin Walsh of Bleacher Report relays.

“We just have to get it together,” Booker said. “And that’s on me. That’s on Coach. That’s on KD, Eric (Gordon), all the leaders that we have in here to make sure that we’re more prepared when we come play.”

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported this week that Kevin Durant has grown increasingly frustrated with the team’s mediocre play.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Suns owner Mat Ishbia has been very proactive in making moves since acquiring the franchise toward the end of last season. However, Vogel said Ishbia has offered words of encouragement through the team’s struggles, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “He’s been incredibly supportive,” Vogel said. “Talks through every game with me. Has a great knowledge of the game of basketball. We have a ton of discussions about the teams that we’re playing, the thing we’re doing on the floor and what the results look like. Those conversations have been very productive and supportive.”
Hawks guard Dejounte Murray is worth keeping an eye on as a potential trade target for the Lakers, The Athletic’s Shams Charania said on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back show (video link). Charania notes that “the Hawks’ direction, of course, it’s in flux.” Murray’s four-year, $111MM+ contract extension kicks in next season but Charania notes that contract is favorable compared to that of Zach LaVine, another player who’s been linked to the Lakers. Austin Reaves would be a target for rival GMs, but the Lakers have shown no inclination of moving their talented young guard, Charania adds.
LeBron James now holds the NBA scoring record. So what other major milestones could he shoot for? Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated writes that James could reach the 40,000-point mark. With three more healthy seasons, the Lakers superstar could also overtake Robert Parish for the all-time record in games played (1,611).

Knicks Notes: Barrett, Bucks, Brunson, D. Murray

December 25th, 2023 at 7:24pm CST by Rory Maher

Knicks forward RJ Barrett broke out of a shooting slump in Monday’s home victory over Milwaukee, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Barrett, who had converted just 36.7% of his field goal attempts over the past six games leading into Monday, set the tone early with 14 points in the first quarter, ultimately finishing with 21 on 8-of-14 shooting in 28 minutes.

“I got into a good rhythm early in the game, helped us get a lead,” Barrett said. “After that, it was kind of trying to play the game and listen to what the game was telling me to do.”

Barrett, 23, is in the first season of a four-year, $107MM+ rookie scale extension.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

The Christmas Day win snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Bucks, with three of those losses coming in 2023/24, notes Braziller of The New York Post. The Knicks had just been defeated by Milwaukee on Saturday. “[It meant] a lot, just because obviously we struggled against this team throughout this year, so the fact that we came up with a win today, it’s special,” said Jalen Brunson, who scored a game-high 38 points. “I liked the way we had a lead and no matter how much they cut the lead down we stayed poised and figured out a way to keep it.”
Brunson’s performance today was a reminder of his “elite ability,” according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who takes a look at the connection between Brunson and Adrian Griffin. The Bucks head coach played with Brunson’s father Rick in the CBA and coached with the elder Brunson in Chicago. “He’s tough because he has all the nuances,” Griffin said of Jalen. “He knows how to draw fouls. He can shoot the 3 off the dribble. He has a pull-up off the bounce, and then he can finish at the rim. He’s a very high IQ player.”
According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, “some prominent members” of the Knicks view Hawks guard Dejounte Murray as an “ideal trade target.” However, there’s a significant hurdle to a deal coming together: Murray’s agent is Klutch Sports Group’s Rich Paul, who is “reluctant to do business” with New York. As Begley writes, Paul would help facilitate a move if Murray specifically asked to be traded to the Knicks, but otherwise prefers not to deal with them. That could change if the Knicks agree to an in-person meeting with Paul to work out their differences, Begley reports.

Stein’s Latest: Olynyk, LaVine, Tucker, Murray, McClung

December 25th, 2023 at 3:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics view Jazz big man Kelly Olynyk as a possible trade target, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column.

With a $12.2MM expiring contract, Olynyk is one of several Utah veterans who might be on the move prior to the trade deadline. Boston drafted him in 2013 and he spent his first four NBA seasons with the Celtics, so he’s familiar with the organization.

After being a starter last year, Olynyk has moved into a reserve role in his second season with the Jazz, although he has started seven games because of injures to teammates. He posted 27 points, three rebounds, six assists and four steals in Thursday’s win at Detroit.

Boston’s current salary structure makes an Olynyk trade challenging, notes Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Without giving up one of their rotation players, the Celtics would have to have to send out several minimum contracts to match Olynyk’s salary.

Stein also expects the Knicks to have interest in Olynyk after starting center Mitchell Robinson underwent ankle surgery that could sideline him for the rest of the season.

Stein passes along more inside information on potential trades:

Citing conversations at the G League Winter Showcase, Stein remains skeptical that the Sixers have interest in trading for Bulls guard Zach LaVine. League sources tell Stein that Philadelphia wants to find someone who can contribute on both ends of the court, and the team is reluctant to give up its cap space for next summer to acquire LaVine, who still has three seasons left on his five-year, $215MM deal. The Lakers may be more inclined to consider LaVine after going 2-5 in their last seven games, but Stein notes that L.A. also prizes salary flexibility and tends to seek out players with shorter contracts to team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Bucks and Heat still have “a healthy level of admiration” for P.J. Tucker, league sources tell Stein, but his $11MM salary for this season and a guaranteed $11.5MM for 2024/25 will limit trade interest. Tucker, who was acquired from Philadelphia as part of the James Harden deal, hasn’t played for the Clippers in nearly a month.
Rival teams expect the Hawks to consider a Dejounte Murray trade before the deadline, Stein adds. Atlanta’s front office may explore deals involving several players as it tries to assemble a better mix of talent around Trae Young. Stein states that the Hawks would be hoping to replenish their draft assets after sending three future first-round picks and a pick swap to San Antonio in the trade to acquire Murray.
In an interview with Mac McClung, the 2023 Slam Dunk Contest champ says he’s still deciding whether he’ll return to the event to try to defend his title.

Knicks Rumors: Murray, Anunoby, Barrett, Quickley, Fournier

December 22nd, 2023 at 5:31pm CST by Rory Maher

While one recent report indicated the Knicks haven’t been very active in trade conversions thus far this season, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype hears from sources who say New York is among a group of teams that have shown “exploratory interest” in Hawks guard Dejounte Murray.

As Scotto writes, Murray can’t be traded until January 9, which is six months after the one-time All-Star signed a four-year, $111MM+ extension over the summer. But with the Hawks off to a slow start (they’re 12-15, the No. 10 seed in the East), Scotto suggests they’d be willing to listen to offers on several players on their roster, including De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela, who have both popped up in trade rumors in the past year.

In June 2022, before Murray was traded to Atlanta from San Antonio, multiple reporters said the Knicks were interested in his services — it’s not surprising that they’re rumored to be checking in on his availability again. Through 27 games this season, the 27-year-old is averaging 20.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.4 APG and 1.5 SPG in 34.3 MPG.

Here are a few more Knicks rumors from Scotto:

New York is still interested in Raptors forward OG Anunoby, Scotto reports. When the two teams discussed Anunoby last season, RJ Barrett came up in the talks, but “nothing substantive materialized.” According to Scotto, the Knicks would likely have to give up a significant haul of assets to land Anunoby, who can become a free agent in 2024 if he declines his player option for ’24/25.
The Knicks and Immanuel Quickley did not agree to terms on a rookie scale extension before the ’23/24 season began, and Scotto previously reported that there was a pretty significant gap in what the young guard was seeking on his next deal and what New York was willing to offer. That gap — plus the team’s belief that he would eventually like to start — has made the Knicks willing to consider trading Quickley if the right opportunity arises, according to Scotto.
Unsurprisingly, Scotto hears the Knicks have also been attempting to trade Evan Fournier and his expiring contract, but they obviously haven’t found any takers yet — otherwise he wouldn’t still be on the roster.