New Blockbuster Draft Day Trade Proposal Sends Dejounte Murray to Golden State, Wiggins + Multiple Picks to Atlanta

Could the Atlanta Hawks trade Dejounte Murray to the Golden State Warriors?

Jan 24, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) scores a basket against Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray (5) during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to draft day.

Today marks the 1st round of the NBA Draft and there promises to be plenty of craziness tonight. Last night, Mikal Bridges was traded to the New York Knicks in a major blockbuster deal and more could be on the way tonight.

The Atlanta Hawks have been on the clock since the day of their shocking NBA Draft Lottery win, there has been endless speculation about what exactly the Hawks are going to do tomorrow. The three names most prominently mentioned have been French prospects Alex Sarr andZaccharie Risacher as well as UConn center Donovan Clingan. There has also been plenty of speculation over whether the Hawks could trade this pick, with the San Antonio Spurs being the team linked the most to trading up. While this draft has been knocked for not having any superstar prospect, there is still the potential for a wild night due to a lot of uncertainty. Right now most seem to think that Atlanta will stay at No. 1 and take Risacher.

But what if they don't and actually do pull off a draft night trade? While this new proposal from Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes does not have the Hawks sending any picks in this year's draft or receiving any, it is a possible move that could be made. In his proposal that he published yesterday, Murray head to Golden State to team up with Steph Curry:

Golden State Warriors Acquire: Dejounte Murray

Atlanta Hawks Acquire: Andrew Wiggins, 2028 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick (via Atlanta)

"The peak version of Andrew Wiggins is probably worth more to the Warriors than the peak version of Dejounte Murray. But it's been a long time since Wiggins was the team's second-best player during its 2022 championship run.

The Hawks would be gambling on Wiggins rediscovering his top form, but they'd also be executing the backcourt breakup that everyone has been speculating about for months. At the very least, the idea of Wiggins as a defensive stopper on the wing makes more sense than running it back with Murray and Trae Young at the guard spots.

Considering it's possible that Wiggins and Murray are equally valuable in a vacuum, it'd be a huge win for Atlanta to secure a future first-rounder in the deal.

Meanwhile, Golden State onboards a player in Murray who could offset the possible departures of both Klay Thompson and Chris Paul while shielding Stephen Curry from the toughest defensive matchups. He'd also allow the Dubs to sell the idea that they're still intent on contending without nuking the young core by trading Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski or anyone else who might play a big role on the post-Curry version of the team."

This is not a trade that I like for the Hawks. I don't believe that Murray and Wiggins are equal players, especially considering the type of year that Wiggins had last season. The first-round pick could be valuable assuming that it is unprotected, but this is not the kind of return that I think the Hawks should settle for when trading Murray if that is who they decide to trade. This would be a good get for the Warriors, as they have been linked to Murray and he might be a good fit alongside Curry. Wiggins was not a good player last season and they might want to get off of his contract while they can, even if they have to send out an unprotected first-round pick.

At the end of the day, it does not sound like the Hawks are going to move the pick and will likely stick at No. 1 and take either Risacher or Clingan. Be prepared for the unexpected though.