Dejounte Murray has been mired in trade talks for weeks now. One team that has reportedly shown a ton of interest is the Los Angeles Lakers. Many thought a three-team trade could have been in the works, but that does not even seem to be a possibility now. Originally, the Lakers offered a package centered around D’Angelo Russell, their 2029 first-round pick and a future first-round pick swap, but the deal needed a third team involved. Trade discussions surrounding Dejounte Murray have dissolved in the past few days. Now, it has gone as far as to being “unrealistic,” that the Los Angeles Lakers attain the former All-Star point guard. Los Angeles has been looking to upgrade their backcourt, but with the way D’Angelo Russell has been playing, missing out on Murray may not be the worst thing in the world.
Los Angeles Lakers’ Chances of Trading for Dejounte Murray Extremely Low
Why the Lakers Covet Dejounte Murray
Dejounte Murray would have added some much-needed athleticism to Los Angeles’ backcourt. However, ever since his name has popped up in trade rumors, D’Angelo Russell has upped his production. In the past five games, he has tallied numbers of 23.3 points, 5.8 assists per game, and a three-point field goal percentage of 43.8 percent. While this is certainly improving Russell’s trade value, the Los Angeles Lakers should consider retaining him and keeping him in the starting lineup. That is where he is currently thriving.
While Dejounte Murray is the better all-around player, the Lakers could simply just need to make some adjustments to their rotations. As for Murray, he is having a solid season himself. He is currently averaging 21.5 points, 5.2 assists, and 5.0 total rebounds per game. On top of this, Murray is also shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from beyond the arc. With this in mind, the Atlanta Hawks should still find plenty of suitors for the former San Antonio Spur.
Potential Destinations for the All-Star Point Guard
One possible landing spot for Dejounte Murray is his former team, the San Antonio Spurs. He is already familiar with Gregg Popovich and would bring some veteran leadership to a young locker room. Not to mention, a dynamic duo of he and Victor Wembanyama could ignite a spark in this current Spurs squad. Another team that could try and trade for the defensive-minded guard is the New York Knicks. Pairing Murray with Jalen Brunson in the backcourt would instantly create one of the better star duos in the Eastern Conference.
Another sleeper to pay attention to is the Miami Heat. Having Murray on an already defensive-oriented team would certainly give fits to the opposition. A trio of Dejounte Murray, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo would make for one of the best defensive lineups in the NBA. The only issue is determining if the Heat have enough assets to pull off a trade for the former steals champion. All in all, Atlanta should have plenty of takers for Murray’s services and be able to move him before the NBA Trade Deadline on February 8th .
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