Dejounte Murray may be the best player traded before the Feb. 8 deadline (the Zach LaVine market remains dormant and it sounds less and less like Toronto will find a trade partner willing to rent Pascal Siakam). As such, the Atlanta Hawks are keeping the asking price high a month out from the NBA Trade Deadline (Feb. 8).
Where do Murray talks stand? Jake Fischer at Yahoo Sports posted this update.
Murray has generated a substantial market during preliminary conversations around the league... And at this juncture, to varying degrees, the Lakers, Knicks, Sixers, Heat and Pistons are five suitors expected to engage Atlanta about acquiring Murray over the coming days and weeks before Feb. 8.
Note Fischer’s phrasing here: “five suitors expected to engage” in Murray trade talks. This means that, right now, discussions are preliminary at best, and there is no traction toward anything soon.
All of these teams could use Murray, who is averaging career-best numbers of 21.1 points, five assists, and 4.6 rebounds a game while shooting 39.4% from 3, and he is a plus defender. He’s also under contract for four years after this one, his $114 million extension kicks in next season, a reasonable number for his production.
However, Murray is not a natural fit everywhere. After the Murray and Trae Young backcourt did not deliver as hoped in Atlanta, do the Knicks want to spend their trade capital to put him next to another ball-dominant guard in Jalen Brunson? He is a more comfortable fit with the Lakers (especially if Los Angeles sends D’Angelo Russell to Atlanta in the trade), but Fischer echoes everything NBC Sports has heard about teams talking to the Lakers — they want Austin Reaves. The Lakers don’t want to give up Reaves. That tends to end talks.
Should the 76ers make this trade now or wait until the summer, when they have cap space and can chase Siakam or other wings? Is Murray the guy they want to bet on being the final piece next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey?
Miami would get the most out of Murray but can the sides find a deal? And the Pistons are... the Pistons. Brooklyn would be a good fit in a sense, but Murray would be another player on a team of good players that is solidly in the middle of the East. Is that what they want?
Other teams likely will jump in the mix. One way or another, expect Murray to be on the move before Feb. 8, although where is very much up in the air.
