New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Idea Sends Paul George + Dejounte Murray to Golden State, Kuminga to Atlanta

Will the Hawks elect to trade Dejounte Murray this offseason?

Mar 17, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray (5) shoots against the Golden State Warriors in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

This has a chance to be a wild week in the NBA.

The Atlanta Hawks have a lot of decisions they have to make over the course of the offseason. They hold the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, 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.

The Hawks are not alone though. The Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors are going to be talked about as well, sometimes in the same sentence. While Paul George could opt out of his contract, there has been a lot of speculation about whether George could opt in to his contract with the Clippers, but then request a trade. The Warriors have been mentioned as one of the teams that is expected to have a strong interest in George.

The Golden State Warriors could show interest in trading for Paul George, per @TheSteinLine

“I'm pretty sure that the Warriors are as interested in George as the Knicks — maybe more. Can Golden State assemble the likely multi-team trade that would be needed to win the PG-13… pic.twitter.com/YOlPUFH6pk

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 24, 2024

This is assuming that the Warriors don't re-sign Klay Thompson as well. The Warriors have been mentioned as a potential destination for Murray as well.

What about a blockbuster trade that lands them both, while the Hawks get one of the best young players in the NBA?

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: Jonathan Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins, and Gary Payton II

Warriors Receive: Paul George, Dejounte Murray, and PJ Tucker

Clippers Receive: Chris Paul, Moses Moody, De'Andre Hunter, 2025 first round pick via Golden State (Unprotected), and a 2027 1st Round Pick Via Golden State (Unprotected)

Let's look at this trade from all sides.

First up, Atlanta. The Hawks are likely going to move either Trae Young or Murray and I still think it will be Murray. The prize here for the Hawks would be Kuminga, who showed massive improvement this season. Kuminga is a young and athletic wing player who would be a perfect fit next to Trae Young on both ends of the floor. While the Warriors have not wanted to move Kuminga for just anyone, they could choose to if they can get this kind of return. Putting Kuminga with Young, Jalen Johnson, and the No. 1 pick could get the Hawks an exciting team moving forward. They would also move off of Hunter's contract (which is not horrible) while getting to keep Bogdan Bogdanovic. The Hawks could move Clint Capela to get more assets.

How would the other pieces fit on the Hawks? The player that would worry me is Wiggins. Wiggins still has three years left on his contract and he was not a good player last year. If he were to rediscover the 2022 version of himself, that would be huge, but that might be unlikely. Payton would be a solid bench player and defender for Atlanta and he only has one year left on his deal. Atlanta might be willing to take on Wiggins contract if it gets them Kuminga though. The Hawks could have a lineup of Young, Wiggins, Johnson, Kuminga, and Okongwu. The bench would include the No. 1 pick (could be either Zaccharie Risacher or Donovan Clingan), Kobe Bufkin, Bogdanovic, and others. This team could be back in playoff contention next season.

For the Warriors, this is the ultimate all-in move to maximize the window around Steph Curry. If Thompson leaves, the front office could try to do whatever it can to maximize the remaining years that Curry has and both George and Murray would be great fits. Giving up Kuminga and Moody would be tough, but the Warriors as presently constructed are not contending for a title. Murray and George would give them that. Tucker is included in the trade as salary filler. This is likely the last chance for the Warriors to try and make moves to win with Curry and I think they would do everything they could to win with the best player in franchise history.

For the Clippers, this is about maximizing the return for George. George is an older player and he could ask specifically to be traded to Golden State, diminishing his trade value. The Clippers would only have to have Chris Paul for another year, while getting young players in Moody and Hunter. Los Angeles is also devoid of any draft assets and getting two uunprotected picks from Golden State would be huge. The Clippers could flip those picks for an asset to help them win now.

Is this a fair trade for all sides and who might say no?

I think the Warriors are a yes, even though they would have to give up Kuminga, Moody, and two unprotected picks. If they are desperate enough to to try and win with Curry though, they might not mind giving up those assets though. Murray is not on a huge contract either.

If the Hawks are moving on from Murray and potentially Hunter, Kuminga is one of the top players they could land in my opinion. This trade could be a big win if Wiggins returns to form next year.

The Clippers could do worse in a return for George. Moody and Hunter would help this team in certain areas right away. Hunter has been inconsistent and struggled with injuries, but he just had the best shooting season of his career and has been a good defender in the league. How they use Paul is a real question though. The picks could be real assest though and could be flipped to help fill out this roster. I don't think the Clippers are going to get a star player for George due to his age.

Trades like this rarely happen, but it is an interesting idea. The Warriors are clearly interested in George and might look to add other pieces to maximize their window with Curry. The Hawks could use better wing players, including a young one like Kuminga.

Keep an eye out for more developments regarding the Hawks, the Warriors and Paul George. It could be a wild offseason in the NBA.