There are rumors that the following teams would be interested in trading for Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray: the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, and Detroit Pistons. Nevertheless, according to Yahoo Sports insider Jeff Fischer (via The Saturday Stein Line podcast), only the Lakers and the Jazz have actually made a trade offer for the 2022 All-Star.
There Are Offers From The Lakers And Jazz For Dejounte Murray
LeBron James’s growing dissatisfaction with the Los Angeles Lakers’ play appears to have put them in a precarious position. Then a team that was rumored to have won free agency is once more rushing to make a roster move that will save the season during the regular season. That seems to be trading for Dejounte Murray this season.
The 27-year-old Murray is a physical lead guard who can score from all three levels and create deflections on the defensive glass with his length. He would be better than current starter D’Angelo Russell with those qualities. The more adept jump shooter is Russell. Nevertheless, Murray’s play does not have the variety in his production. Murray routinely put up effective 20-point performances.
To put it succinctly, Murray outperformed Russell in terms of effectiveness. Up until the Western Conference Finals in 2023, D-Lo had some excellent moments. Nevertheless, Russell averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 assists, and 0.7 steals per game by the end of that playoff run. His efficiency is also inferior to Murray’s, as he only made 42.6 percent of his shots from the field and 31.0 percent from three.
It won’t be ideal to pair Murray in the backcourt with Austin Reaves, a fan favorite. There will be room for improvement in the Lakers’ perimeter defense against points of attack. Los Angeles’s outdoor shooting will be a little less dependable. Nevertheless, they will upgrade their backcourt.
