For Dejounte Murray, the Lakers have made the “most aggressive known bid to date.”
According to Jake Fischer, “the Lakers seem to have made the most aggressive known bid to date for Murray.” In an effort to acquire the [Atlanta] Hawks guard, Los Angeles has been prepared to offer a 2029 first-round pick in addition to a pick swap, league sources told Yahoo Sports. According to sources, Atlanta is looking for a better player return than D’Angelo Russell, and the Hawks appear to prefer not to take back future salary. This leaves open the possibility of another three-team deal involving Russell at the deadline, after he joined the Lakers through the Utah-Minnesota-Los Angeles triple dip in February of last year. Any team considering acquiring the Ohio State product will have to take into account Russell’s $18.6 million player option for the following campaign.
According to recent reports, the Lakers and Hawks have discussed possible deal structures. One such structure would include Hood-Schifino, a 2029 first-round pick, and additional draft compensation.
Despite Russell’s recent winning streak, it appears that the Hawks aren’t all that interested in keeping him around. Russell is averaging 27.4 points and 6.6 assists per game since returning to the Lakers starting lineup. He is shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 53.1 percent from beyond the arc.
That stretch has apparently increased the Lakers’ chances of keeping him, which probably doesn’t surprise many.
With less than two weeks remaining before the trade deadline of February 8th, the Lakers will have limited opportunity to improve their roster. Following their victory over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, Los Angeles’ 23-23 record has put them back at.500.
Despite their inconsistent play throughout the season, Los Angeles is now in ninth place in the Western Conference. For the final guaranteed postseason spot in the conference, it is four games behind the New Orleans Pelicans.
Maybe a trade for Murray will give the team the same spark that midseason trades did during the 2022–2023 season. After making moves for Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Rui Hachimura, Los Angeles advanced to the Western Conference Finals, where the Denver Nuggets easily defeated them.
In his second season with the Hawks, Murray, 27, is averaging 21.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. He would offer the Lakers a different set of skills than Russell.
Time will tell if a deal is made.
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