The Atlanta Hawks have separated their backcourt. Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to announce that Dejounte Murray is joining the New Orleans Pelicans. The Hawks will reportedly acquire two first-round picks (2025 from the Lakers, 2027 from the less-favorable Pelicans/Bucks), Larry Nance Jr., and Dyson Daniels.
The Pelicans now add a steady scorer and all-around contributor to their backcourt. Murray is fresh off averaging a career-high 22.5 points per game with 6.4 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. He also shot a much-improved 36.3 percent from downtown on 7.1 attempts a night.
All things considered, this feels like a pretty fair trade for both sides. The case could be made that Atlanta deserved more for the one-time All-Star, especially after his efficient season. However, they still land multiple first-round picks and a once-promising prospect in Dyson Daniels. The jumbo guard is still only 21 years old and struggled to find a consistent role on a team prioritizing winning. If the Hawks are prepared to take a step back, Daniels could have more room to grow into his own.
We also have to factor in Murray’s struggles to look like the same two-way asset he was in San Antonio. While most would still declare him an above-average defender, he was the league’s steals leader and All-Defensive Second Team selection while with San Antonio. The Hawks expected him to come in and fix a lot of their defensive struggles. The team finished 22nd in defensive rating in 2022-23 and 27th in 2023-24.