Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray "has more value than Trae Young at this stage," per ESPN's Bobby Marks on NBA Today (h/t Pelicans Film Room).
The Hawks are the team to watch Wednesday as the NBA draft kicks off from Brooklyn. Atlanta holds the No. 1 overall pick, and it's not entirely clear what the team plans to do at this stage.
And then there's the matter of the Hawks' two star guards, both of whom have been the subject of trade rumors and speculation for months.
It's easy to see why Murray would reportedly have more value in a trade. Nick Angstadt of Locked on Mavs explained:
Nick Angstadt @NickVanExitPeople are going to freak out about this but Dejounte's deal is almost HALF of Trae's<br><br>Young - $43mil (2 + 1 PO left)<br>Murray - $25mil (3+1 PO left) <a href="">
Granted, Young is a better scorer, shooter and distributor, but Murray is also far better on the defensive end and holds his own offensively as well (22.5 PPG, 6.4 APG).
The Los Angeles Lakers have been the No. 1 team to watch for Murray, as L.A. and Atlanta has trade talks before the 2024 deadline before they fell through. Per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, L.A. is willing to make its No. 17 overall pick available in a potential deal.
ESPN's Jonathan Givony also linked Murray (and the Utah Jazz's Collin Sexton) with the Lakers in deals that include the No. 17 pick.
There's a little too much smoke here to totally ignore the connection. As for Young, he apparently finds the Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs as appealing destinations should he be dealt, per Fischer.
Ultimately, the Hawks are going to make moves after finding themselves stuck in neutral for three years following their surprising 2021 Eastern Conference Finals appearance. The team went just 36-46 and finished 10th in the East last year with Young and Murray serving as the team's backbone, so it seems like a matter of if and not when at least one of them is moved.
