New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Idea Sends Dejounte Murray + Cam Johnson to the Lakers, Hawks Gets Assets to Reset

Will the Hawks trade Dejounte Murray this offseason?
Jan 30, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray (5) is defended by Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 30, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray (5) is defended by Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
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The 2024 NBA Draft is now over and all eyes are going to turn to free agency and trade talks. The draft did not see any big moves or trades be made, but there could be several on the horizon. There have been two trades to date that have been notable around the NBA. The Chicago Bulls sent Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Josh Giddey and on Wednesday night, Brooklyn sent Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks for an incredible amount of picks, as well as getting their own picks back from Houston in a seperate trade.

The Atlanta Hawks have a lot of decisions they have to make over the course of the offseason. They are likely going to need to make a decision on Trae Young/Dejounte Murray backcourt, and other players such as Clint Capela, De'Andre Hunter, and Bogdan Bogdanovic could be available. The front office for Atlanta has a lot of important decisions to make and this team is likely going to look much different in the coming weeks.

Brooklyn is probably going to be in full fire sale mode now that they have control of their picks. Players like Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith could be on the move soon as the Nets have their eyes toward the future and trying to angle themselves to get a high draft pick in 2025.

The Lakers are going to be looking to add to their team to try and make another run with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. It does not look like there is going to be a true star for the Lakers to after in a trade and they may have to look at other options. The Lakers and the Hawks have been mentioned as past trade partners and the Lakers in particular are going to be under pressure to make big moves this offseason to take advantage of their window with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. If the Hawks decide to move Murray and build around Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, and Zaccharie Risacher, the Lakers could make sense. The Hawks also need to shed some salary to avoid paying the luxury tax, which is something they always do.

How about a three-team trade proposal between the three teams? It should be noted that this is just speculative and a fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think a team should definitely do. That is all.

Here is the trade:

Hawks Receive: Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, Lakers 2029 1st round pick (top three protected), and Lakers 2031 first round pick (top three protected)

Lakers Receive: Dejounte Murray and Cam Johnson

Nets Receive: D'Angelo Russell, De'Andre Hunter, Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2026 second round pick via Atlanta, and 2027 second round pick via the Lakers

Let's breakdown this potential trade.

For the Hawks, they would break up their backcourt of Young and Murray, while taking back some intriguing pieces to put around Young. Another thing to note is that they would cut salary by trading Hunter and Murray, something the front office has done and will presumably continue to do for the foreseeable future. While Hachimura, Vanderbilt, and Gabe Vincent are not tremendous players to get in return, the two future first-round picks (though they are top-three protected) might be the best assets in the trade for the Hawks, who do not have much draft capital in the next few seasons. Atlanta could still move Clint Capela for other assets as well. Hachimura and Vanderbilt would provide length and athleticism around Young, something that seems to be a goal considering the selection of Risacher.

For the Lakers, they would get two starters for their team while also keeping Austin Reaves. A lineup of Murray, Reaves, Johnson, James, and Davis is pretty good and this might be the optimal outcome for the Lakers considering the kinds of players that might be available this summer for them to add to their team.

For Brooklyn, they can get assets for Johnson, including a young player in Hood-Schifino that they could see for a year and determine if he is a part of their future plans. Hunter is also still young and not on a terrible contract. The second-round picks would add to their growing stash of picks that they are accumulating. This trade assumes that Russell opts into his player option and while he won't necessarily be a prized asset on the trade market, his salary is certainly going to be needed to make deals for the Lakers this offseason, if he opts in. He is on an expiring deal and the Nets could even try to flip him for something later.

Who would say no to this hypothetical trade? I think Brooklyn would. The Nets might want more usable pieces in return for Johnson and might not be interested in Hunter or Hood-Schifino. I can't say what Johnson's true trade value is, but he is a big wing player that is a good shooter, something that teams always covet.

Again, this is a complete hypothetical and unlikely to happen, but it is interesting enough for both sides to consider.


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Jackson Caudell

JACKSON CAUDELL

Jackson Caudell has been covering Georgia Tech Athletics For On SI since March 2022 and the Atlanta Hawks for On SI since October 2023. Jackson is also the co-host of the Bleav in Georgia Tech podcast and he loves to bring thoughtful analysis and comprehensive coverage to everything that he does. Find him on X @jacksoncaudell