Five Takeaways from Hawks Dejounte Murray Trade

Atlanta improved, but still must work through some issues.

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Yesterday evening, the Atlanta Hawks pulled off a blockbuster trade for San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray. Last night, I recapped how the trade went down. Now, let's examine the five biggest takeaways from the deal.

Hawks Defense Fixed

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Offense was never a problem for the Hawks. Throughout most of last season, they hovered around the top offensive rating in the league. But their defense made traffic cones look agile and alert. A 113.7 defensive rating was bottom-six and unserious for any playoff team.

Adding Dejounte Murray immediately fixes the Hawks perimeter defensive woes. No Spurs player picked up the opponent's No. 1 option more than Murray, according to Bball Index. That will have a chain reaction that lightens the load for De'Andre Hunter and Clint Capela.

Detractors are quick to point out Trae Young's flaws. But sharing the backcourt with an ultra-athletic guard with a 6'10" wingspan will cover up Young's shortcomings on the defensive end of the floor. As a result, it's conceivable that the Hawks will have a top-ten defensive rating next season.

Hawks Offense Boosted

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Integrating Murray into the offense will not be a seamless adjustment. Murray and Young will be the first pair of teammates in NBA history who both averaged 20 points and 8 assists per game in the previous season, according to Elias Sports.

Both are dynamic playmakers with high usage rates. Young is a pick-and-roll maestro, whereas Murray forces his way to the rim like Russell Westbrook. I fully expect the Hawks offense to start off clunky and stagnant until they find their rhythm playing together.

Am I worried? Of course not. The NBA nerfed Young's ability to get to the foul line last year through rule changes. The prodigy point guard remixed his game on the fly and led the league in total points and assists, averaging career highs in ten different statistical categories.

Media and fans alike have often pontificated about Young playing off the ball more like Stephen Curry. Now Young gets that opportunity. Plus, the offense is no longer wholly reliant on his playmaking. This is more than an adjustment. The league's best offense just received a boost.

John Collins Still Standing

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All the trade talk surrounding the Hawks for the past two years has centered around John Collins. But it was a different power forward who got dealt. San Antonio wanted Danilo Gallinari's expiring contract as salary cap fodder. 

Despite all the drama that has played out in the public eye, Collins remains in Atlanta. Now that we know the league's salary cap will be higher than expected, the 24-year-old is set to take up 19% of the team's cap space. Some hoops fans have misconceptions about how team-friendly Collins' deal really is.

Both ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix have reported that Atlanta's front office isn't finished making moves. Let's hope none of those moves involve Collins. He's proven more than capable of not only adapting to changing circumstances but thriving despite drama.

Atlanta Front Office is Serious

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Last week, after the Hawks played it safe in the draft, I criticized the front office for its conservative approach to team building. If I were team president Travis Schlenk or general manager Landry Fields, I would be in my Twitter mentions right now talking smack. But luckily for Hawks fans, Atlanta's front office spends their time working and not refreshing Twitter.

Not only do I eat my words from last week, but I applaud the front office for making such a bold move. They sacrificed a lot of future draft capital in order to improve their team right now. It's clear they are serious about winning now. 

Backcourt Logjam

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As of right now, the Hawks have ten players on their roster for next season. Six of them are perimeter players, which is fine since the entire league has embraced small-ball.

But this move will have an immediate impact on head coach Nate McMillan's rotation. Now Kevin Huerter and Bogdan Bogdanovic are both coming off the bench. The latter thrived in the sixth man role last year, while the former struggled outside of his starting role.

Adding a backup point guard is near the top of the Hawks to-do list. Bringing back Delon Wright on a midlevel exception could do the trick. The veteran is a strong defender and will happily manage the second-unit offense, thanks to his pass-first nature. But it will be interesting to see what happens with Huerter and Bogdanovic this offseason.

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