Dejounte Murray Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Mitchell, Beal, Kuzma, Porzingis, Adebayo, Hawks

August 20th, 2022 at 8:40am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards should be bold and acquire a star player like Donovan Mitchell to pair up with Bradley Beal, who’s now locked into a long-term contract, Josh Robbins of The Athletic opines. That pairing would put up big offensive numbers, but Washington would have to make other moves to cover for the backcourt’s defensive shortcomings. The front office would have to acquire defensive stalwarts at other spots to mask those defensive issues, Robbins adds.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The Wizards already have a “big three” in terms of offensive firepower with Beal, Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. As Hughes writes, the trio could compare to the mid-2000s Washington teams built around Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, which included an elite scoring guard plus two versatile, offense-driven frontcourt players.
Finding a bigger offensive role for Bam Adebayo is more complicated than many Heat fans might think, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes in his latest mailbag. If Tyler Herro is moved to the starting lineup, there would be fewer shots for Adebayo with Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry already on the floor. For Adebayo to be effective, he may also need a floor spacer such as Max Strus or Duncan Robinson.
Trae Young believes outsiders are underestimating the impact of the Hawks’ acquisition of Dejounte Murray, as he told Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill on Goodwill’s podcast (Twitter link). “I don’t think people understand how dynamic of a backcourt (we) can be,” Young said. “Both can score 20-plus, both can get nine-plus assists a game. You can’t really double one or the other. If you do, you really pick your poison.”

Southeast Notes: Poole, Murray, Banchero, Bogdanovic, Echenique

August 13th, 2022 at 8:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic will be ready with an offer sheet if Warriors guard Jordan Poole reaches free agency next summer, an unidentified Eastern Conference executive tells Sean Deveney of Heavy. Although Poole is an important contributor for Golden State, luxury tax considerations put his future with the organization in doubt. If he doesn’t reach an agreement on a rookie scale extension before the start of the upcoming season, he’ll be a restricted free agent in 2023.

“I’d watch out for the Magic to be ready to make an offer if he’s restricted, knowing there’s a good chance Golden State is not going to match,” the executive said.

The 23-year-old Poole is coming off his best season, averaging career highs with 18.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game and making 51 starts for a team that won the NBA title. He would provide some much-needed perimeter scoring for a young Orlando team that solidified its frontcourt with Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero in the last two drafts. The Magic could have close to $60MM in cap room and may be in range to add two max free agents.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Former NBA player Jamal Crawford is downplaying a dispute between new Hawks guard Dejounte Murray and Banchero in a pro-am game last week, tweets Landon Buford. “There’s no issues; they’re brothers, competitive basketball court stuff,” Crawford said. “I’ve had spats like that with my brothers. There’s nothing to read into.”
Hawks shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic has resumed training after knee surgery in May and recently posted Instagram photos of his workout with tennis star Novak Djokovic in Serbia. Bogdanovic was able to participate in Atlanta’s first-round playoff series against Miami, but underwent the operation shortly after the Hawks were eliminated.
Jaime Echenique received a huge welcome when he returned to Colombia last month after becoming the first player from his homeland to appear in an NBA game, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Echenique played just one game for the Wizards in December and spent most of the season with the team’s Capital City G League affiliate. He recognizes the importance of his accomplishment, but is focused on expanding his NBA opportunities. “He said you have to take this as big as it is,” Echenique said in relaying a conversation with a friend. “Out of the 75 years of the NBA, out of 50 million Colombians, you are the first one. I was like ‘Yeah, that’s a big deal.’ Whether it was a 10-day [contract] or three minutes or whatever people want to call it, I did it.”

Eastern Notes: Lowry, Murray, Banchero, Grant, Turner

August 8th, 2022 at 6:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kyle Lowry‘s name has surfaced in trade rumors, mainly due to the Heat’s interest in Kevin Durant. In a recent podcast with longtime NBA All-Star Vince Carter, Lowry says he doesn’t feel the need to address trade talk (hat tip to Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald).

“I hear it. I don’t respond to it,” Lowry said. “I have my social media, but I’m not even on my social media right now, to be honest with you. I only did this interview because you’re my man.”

Lowry’s salary could prove valuable if Miami is successful in dealing for Durant or another high-priced star such as Donovan Mitchell. Lowry, who is entering the second year of a three-year, $85MM contract, has not considered retirement, saying he’ll play “until I can’t.”

“This is how I think personally. When you tell your brain something, it starts to do it,” he said. “So for me, I’ll say: ‘I’m going until I can’t.’ Why not? Until I don’t want to wake up at 5 or 6 in the morning to go work out.”

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

New Hawks guard Dejounte Murray and the draft’s top pick, the Magic’s Paolo Banchero, exchanged words on and off the court after taking the court at Isaiah Thomas‘ annual summer pro-am, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports relays. Murray faked out Banchero before doing a self alley-oop, then took to social media to give the rookie more grief. Banchero responded by saying that Murray had unfollowed him, while adding some choices words of his own.
When the Pistons signed Jerami Grant to a three-year contract two years ago as a free agent, many observers were baffled as to why the rebuilding team took that route. In hindsight, it worked out quite well for Detroit, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. Grant’s professionalism and work ethic rubbed off on the Pistons’ young players and the subsequent trade with Portland this summer helped GM Troy Weaver make a draft-night deal for lottery pick Jalen Duren.
Despite being the subject of trade rumors for months, Pacers center Myles Turner loves Indiana and is excited to play with Tyrese Haliburton, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. Haliburton is the first true pass-first point guard Turner has played with, Scotto notes. Turner is entering his walk year and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Southeast Notes: Murray, Banchero, Wagners, Wizards

July 26th, 2022 at 12:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dejounte Murray tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype there’s no reason to be concerned about how he’ll fit alongside new backcourt partner Trae Young. The Hawks gave up a sizeable package of draft picks to acquire Murray from the Spurs, teaming up two guards who have been primary ball-handlers throughout their careers. Murray says he and Young are both “hoopers” and they’ll find a way to make it work.

“He wanted me as bad as I wanted to go over there to help,” Murray said of Young. “They already have a culture over there that they built. There’s a brotherhood. For me, it won’t be too hard to fit in. I work hard, and I can adapt to any environment I’m put in with my style of play and willingness to learn and work. It’s going to be a smooth transition. I think we’ll figure it out. We’re both smart, and we love the game. When you add those things together, you figure out ways to win. The main goal is to win, and that’s what we both want.”

In the lengthy interview, Murray also discusses his affection for San Antonio, the mentality it took to recover from a torn ACL and his expectations for Atlanta heading into the upcoming season.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Paolo Banchero may be a big part of the foundation in Orlando after being taken with the No. 1 pick, but the Magic don’t expect him to assume a leadership role right away, per Nick Friedell of ESPN. Coach Jamahl Mosley hopes to emulate the Warriors, who give every player a role in building the culture. “You look at how Draymond [Green] is so vocal, but everybody knows how he ties and glues that team together,” Mosley said. “Steph [Curry] doesn’t have to say much, but when he does, it speaks volumes. We want to build our guys in that regard where there’s such a chemistry, and then as guys rise and they get their voice and they get that feel of leadership, they start to stand up. “
The Magic‘s Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner are on Germany’s roster for FIBA EuroBasket 2022, which will take place in September, according to Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. The Wagner brothers may also participate in World Cup qualifying games in late August.
Reports that the Wizards are among the teams interested in trading for Donovan Mitchell show that Washington will be aggressive about building a contender now that Bradley Beal has a long-term contract, observes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Robbins examines Mitchell’s potential fit in Washington and what it might cost to get him.

Landry Fields: Hawks “Bet On The Character Makeup” Of Trae Young, Dejounte Murray

July 12th, 2022 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks‘ trade for Dejounte Murray was about finding a backcourt partner who fits well alongside Trae Young, general manager Landry Fields said in an interview with Mark Medina of NBA.com. Atlanta paid a steep price for Murray, sending three first-round picks and a pick swap to San Antonio along with Danilo Gallinari, but Fields believes the deal was worth it to find a possible long-time complement to Young.

Murray and Young have both been primary ball-handlers throughout their careers, so they’ll have to work on blending their offensive games together. Defensively, Murray can take on the toughest matchups and make it more difficult for opponents to exploit Young.

“We bet on the character makeup of Trae and Dejounte,” Fields said. “Both of those guys want to win, and will do what it takes to win. They need that because their roles will be a lot different than they were last year, from both respective teams. As long as they’re able to do what it takes, Coach [Nate McMillan] then comes in and is able to get creative with how they’ll operate. From a front-office standpoint, we’ll determine if we need to inject more here, here or here. Hopefully, all three of those are working at the same time.”

Fields addresses several other topics during the interview, including:

The trade that sent Kevin Huerter to the Kings in exchange for Justin Holiday, Maurice Harkless and a future first-round pick:

“Justin Holiday gives us more length around the perimeter and an ability to shoot from the perimeter. That opens things up for Trae and Dejounte with an ability to space the floor. That gives room for Clint [Capela] and John [Collins] as they’re working down in the interior. Hopefully, De’Andre [Hunter] continues to take the steps that he needs.

“With Moe, he’s a guy that plays hard and gives us depth at the four. It’s helpful in that regard. He’s a vet. He’s got great character and we like what he brings to the locker room. He’s not the most outgoing guy, but enough so that we feel there’s an impact there, too.”

John Collins, who has been the subject of frequent trade speculation since re-signing with the Hawks last offseason:

“This isn’t one of those, ‘We have to get off of John.’ That’s absurd. There’s a misinterpretation of that. You always think of the player from that standpoint because he is constantly in talks. You try to make sure with him that we check in and make sure he’s doing all right. It’s something where it’s less about wondering if he’s the long-term fit and it’s more about the fact that he gets called on a lot. The moment those calls come up, people talk. Then all of a sudden, here we are in the media with this thought that John Collins is not wanted by the Hawks.”

The status of McMillan, who reportedly could be on the hot seat if Atlanta gets off to another slow start:

“Coach has been great. After the season, as a staff, [president of basketball operations] Travis [Schlenk] had a chance to sit with him. He was working with him throughout the offseason. It’s his renewed approach to things and his viewpoints. He was leading by taking ownership and responsibility. It was good to see. You need that. I know he’s excited about the group. But he’s also hungry to get back to where we are, too. He’s been here day in and day out in Vegas. He’s been in the gym at our facility. He’s always been there.”

Wolves Notes: Gobert, Towns, Durant, Murray

July 3rd, 2022 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Timberwolves were encouraged by last season’s success, there was an “overwhelming feeling internally” that the team would hit a wall before becoming a legitimate title contender if it didn’t make at least one more major upgrade, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

That line of thought was the motivation behind the team’s blockbuster trade agreement for three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. As Krawczynski explains, the front office had a hard time identifying another player around the NBA who could address so many of the club’s weaknesses and would be available for the package Minnesota was willing to offer.

The Timberwolves anticipate Gobert will make life easier for his new teammates, allowing them to take more gambles on defense and giving D’Angelo Russell a pick-and-roll partner who sets good screens and can be a lob threat.

The Wolves also believe they can make Gobert’s life easier — Minnesota has stronger perimeter defenders (Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson, Taurean Prince) than Utah did, and Karl-Anthony Towns‘ ability to make outside shots will complement Gobert’s inside game, Krawczynski notes.

Here’s more on the Wolves and their roster shake-up:

Sources tell Krawczynski that Gobert has expressed excitement about playing with the Timberwolves and that Towns was especially supportive of the move.
According to Krawczynski, Wolves sources were pessimistic throughout the process that an agreement would actually be reached, and a deal looked to be “in peril” as of Friday morning. Minnesota was prepared to shift its focus to other targets like Myles Turner or Clint Capela before the Gobert talks gained traction again later on Friday when Utah agreed to do a deal without McDaniels included.
Before striking a deal for Gobert, the Wolves made “several calls” to the Nets about Kevin Durant, sources tell Krawczynski. However, Minnesota was unwilling to give up Edwards or Towns for Durant, so those talks didn’t go far.
The Timberwolves were also in the mix for Dejounte Murray and could have outbid the Hawks for him, but the fact that they didn’t shows that they valued Gobert more, observes Krawczynski.
Chris Hine of The Star Tribune takes a closer look at the impact the acquisition of Gobert will have on the Wolves both offensively and defensively, as well as from a salary cap perspective.

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Beal, Wizards, Magic, Hornets

July 2nd, 2022 at 4:34pm CST by JD Shaw

Dejounte Murray is excited to team up with Trae Young and had been talking to his new partner in the Hawks‘ backcourt about the possibility for the past two to three weeks, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Speaking at press conference Friday, Murray said Atlanta was the only team he wanted to join and told reporters that he probably would still be with the Spurs if it hadn’t been for the opportunity with the Hawks.

Atlanta paid a premium price to acquire Murray, sending Danilo Gallinari and a sizable package of draft assets to San Antonio. General manager Landry Fields said the Hawks took time to assess the risks before committing to the trade.

“This wasn’t one of those that came about in a day,” Fields said. “Looking at what we were going to part with up front was one thing and then once we started to engage with San Antonio, it turned into another thing. We took time between talks to sit and think about how this was going to impact us in the future, how was this going to impact our current team, projection-wise what we are going to look like in several years, after factoring all of that in, we got to a place we were comfortable with.”

Here are some other notes from the Southeast Division:

Justin Holiday and Maurice Harkless, who are being acquired from the Kings in the Kevin Huerter trade, are both expected to be on the Hawks’ opening night roster. Kirschner adds. He also states that Atlanta continues to listen to offers for John Collins.
The Wizards were able to retain star free agent Bradley Beal in free agency, but questions remain about whether it was the right move for the team, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes. Washington agreed to a five-year, $251MM deal with the three-time All-Star, prompting Robbins to explore whether keeping Beal at that price will keep the Wizards stuck in mediocrity due to their limited cap flexibility.
The Magic‘s free agency moves further prove the team believes in its young core, Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel opines. Orlando reached agreements with Mohamed Bamba, Gary Harris and Bol Bol, and guaranteed Moritz Wagner‘s salary. The team appears ready to run it back and continue developing its own players rather than adding outside help.
The Hornets are expected to hire Tyrone Corbin and Bob Beyer to Steve Clifford‘s coaching staff, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report tweets. Corbin worked for Clifford in Orlando, while Beyer coached under Clifford in Charlotte. Corbin and Beyer hold over 30 years of combined NBA coaching experience.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

Southwest Notes: Spurs, Murray, Rockets, Tate, Zion

July 1st, 2022 at 11:52pm CST by Rory Maher

Spurs general manager Brian Wright said it was tough to see Dejounte Murray go after the team helped him develop over the past six years, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. The Spurs drafted Murray with the 29th pick of the 2016 draft.

“We’ve watched him grow from his rookie year to being an All-Star last year,” Wright said in a news conference to announce the finalization of the trade that sent Murray to Atlanta. “You wish this job was full of easy decisions. The reality is, there’s a lot of hard decisions.”

Murray enjoyed a breakout season in 2021/22, averaging 21.1 PPG, 9.2 APG, 8.3 RPG, and a league-leading 2.0 SPG with a shooting line of .462/.327/.794 in 68 games (34.8 MPG). The 25-year-old was the runner-up for the Most Improved Player award.

San Antonio received three first-round picks and a pick swap in the deal, and while Wright certainly wasn’t in a celebratory mood, he said the offer from the Hawks was too good to pass up.

“We just got to the place where the deal was the right thing to do,” Wright said.

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

Jae’Sean Tate‘s new three-year contract with the Rockets contains a team option in the final year, sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Tate will earn $7MM in 2022/23 and $6.5MM in ’23/24, and the deal also includes a bonus tied to how many games the team wins, Iko reports. The 26-year-old Tate averaged 11.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 2.8 APG on .498/.312/.707 shooting in 78 games (26.4 MPG) this season.
Rafael Stone, the general manager of the Rockets, chose to acquire multiple unprotected first-round picks and pick swaps when he sent James Harden to the Nets. That decision looks like a wise one now that Kevin Durant has requested a trade out of Brooklyn, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle, who details why he thinks the move might pay off for Houston — depending on what the Nets get in return for the superstar forward.
The news that the Pelicans are nearing an agreement on a five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension with Zion Williamson brings welcome stability to New Orleans, per William Guillory of The Athletic. As Guillory writes, the Pelicans have dealt with all kinds of turmoil over the years, the most recent being the rampant speculation that Williamson would request a trade or decide against signing a rookie contract extension, which obviously isn’t the case. Once the deal is officially inked, the franchise will have all of its core players signed for the next few years, and the terrific rookie class from ’21/22 to grow alongside them.

Northwest Rumors: Wolves, Gobert, Murray, Beasley, Brown, Micic

July 1st, 2022 at 12:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Thursday’s agreement with Kyle Anderson will give the Timberwolves 15 players under contract, but they’re not done with offseason moves, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Minnesota remains in the market for another big man and has talked to the Jazz about Rudy Gobert, sources tell Krawczynski.

Although the Wolves used a first-round pick on Auburn’s Walker Kessler, they want to add a veteran center so there’s not too much pressure on Kessler to produce right away. They were interested in free agents JaVale McGee and Isaiah Hartenstein, but they both reached deals with other teams Thursday night.

Minnesota’s talks with Utah about Gobert began before the draft, but the Jazz are asking a lot in return for their perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate. If the Wolves can’t work out a trade for Gobert, Krawczynski cites the Pacers‘ Myles Turner and the Hawks‘ Clint Capela as other options, although he adds that Minnesota’s talks with Atlanta haven’t gotten very far.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Timberwolves talked to the Spurs about Dejounte Murray but weren’t willing to meet the asking price, Krawczynski confirms. There was also skepticism that Murray would re-sign with Minnesota once his contract expires in two years.
Teams have been making calls to gather background info on Timberwolves wing Malik Beasley, but no deal is imminent, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Beasley, who will make $15.45MM next season, carries a team option for his $16.52MM salary in 2023/24.
Bruce Brown possibly could have made more than the $13+ million he’ll receive from the Nuggets over the next two years, but he believes he’s entering a good situation in Denver, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link). A source tells Reynolds that “fit” was more important to Brown than money.
Vasilije Micic‘s representatives are pressing the Thunder to trade him, but Oklahoma City isn’t willing to give the European star up cheaply, according to Aris Barkas of EuroHoops. The Nuggets, Bucks, Bulls and Spurs have all expressed interest in Micic, Barkas hears.

Spurs Expected To Waive Danilo Gallinari

June 30th, 2022 at 2:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Spurs are expected to waive forward Danilo Gallinari now that their blockbuster trade with the Hawks is official, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

Gallinari is part of the Dejounte Murray deal. His partial guarantee was increased in order to complete the trade.

His $21.45MM salary next season had only been partially guaranteed for $5MM. His partial guarantee is believed to have been increased by an additional $5-6MM or so to match Murray’s incoming salary. San Antonio will get some cap relief by waiving him before his full salary becomes guaranteed.

Gallinari, 33, is expected to draw interest from contenders in both conferences. The Bulls, Celtics, and Heat are among the teams that have already been linked to him, and Gallinari has interest in those clubs, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, who tweets that the forward will be seeking mid-level type money.

Gallinari is a 38.1% career 3-point shooter and has averaged double digits in points since his second NBA season. He averaged 11.7 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 25.3 MPG over 66 regular season games (18 starts) last season.