The Atlanta Hawks considered trading either Trae Young or Dejounte Murray this offseason and they reportedly found a more robust market for Murray, which led to his trade to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Murray is entering Year 1 of a four-year, $120 million extension that he signed with the Hawks in 2023. Young is on a far more expensive contract as enters Year 2 of a five-year, $215.2 million deal. While Murray’s defense has dropped off in recent seasons, he is a far better option on that end of the floor than Young. Young is one of the NBA’s best offensive engines, but he is a ball dominant option that requires a team to largely be built around.
“For Atlanta, the Trae Young, Dejoute Murray partnership just never worked, two years of it,” said Adrian Wojnarowski. “And simply, it was easier to trade Dejounte Murray. There was more of a market with his contract and kind of where he is right now in this league.”