How Hawks' Dejounte Murray Trade To Pelicans Affects Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers' Darius Garland is no longer a logical trade option for the New Orleans Pelicans after they acquired Dejounte Murray.

Jan 20, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray (5) dribbles defended by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Craig Porter (9) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

There had been speculation dating back to last season’s trade deadline that the Atlanta Hawks would break up their backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. After two seasons, that experiment finally came to an end as the Hawks sent Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans. 

At face value, this may seem just like another trade between two teams that aren’t in the Cleveland Cavaliers division. But there’s more to it than that. This deal could shed some light on what the Cavs plan to do with one of their core players this offseason.

The Pelicans were one of the teams rumored to be interested in Cavaliers’ point guard Darius Garland if he were to request a trade in the event of a Donovan Mitchell extension. New Orleans was in need of a playmaking point guard and DG would’ve been a great fit with Zion Williamson.

However, it’s hard to see New Orleans seeking out a trade for DG at this point since they just traded for a point guard with a similar skill set.

This doesn’t mean the Cavs and Pelicans can’t still partner up for a blockbuster deal this offseason. There were reports on the same day that New Orleans acquired Murray that the Cavaliers were still interested in All-Star forward Brandon Ingram. 

Jan 20, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray (5) shoots against Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Even though Garland is no longer a trade target for the Pelicans, a hypothetical deal for Ingram centered around Jarrett Allen could still be in play since Jonas Valanciunas is an unrestricted free agent. 

With all of that being said, the latest report from Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports was that the Cavaliers are hesitant to break up the core four even in the event of an Ingram trade.