Projecting the Hawks' Depth Chart After Dejounte Murray Trade

This roster is now going to be built around Trae Young - what will it look like?

Apr 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Javonte Green (24) defends Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) during the second half during a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

After the trade of Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans, what will the Hawks' roster look like?

Obviously, there is still plenty of time in the off-season for moves to be made. However, with such a big trade, it's worth looking at the options that the Hawks have for roster construction going forward. Below is a breakdown of the roster with big contracts (double-digit salary cap hits) highlighted in bold.

Position	Starter	Reserves
PG	Trae Young	Kobe Bufkin, Seth Lundy
SG	Bogdan Bogdanovic	Dyson Daniels, Kobe Bufkin
SF	Jalen Johnson	DeAndre Hunter, Dyson Daniels
PF	Zaccharie Risacher	DeAndre Hunter, Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr.
C	Clint Capela	Onyeka Okongwu, Larry Nance Jr.

Three things stand out to me when looking over this roster. First, this is probably the best defensive roster - in aggregate - that Trae Young has had around him. The Hawks undoubtedly had a goal to put bigger personnel next to their dimunitive star point guard. So far, it seems like they are meeting that objective. Bogdanovic, Johnson, Risacher, Hunter and Daniels all have long arms and good defensive tools. Having a center like Capela or Okongwu behind them should also serve as an effective defensive backstop. I would be surprised if the Hawks' defensive woes from last season were replicated because on paper, this projects to be a much better defensive unit.

As mentioned earlier, they should be looking at ways to shed salary. The clearest ways they can do that is through a DeAndre Hunter trade or a Clint Capela trade. However, assuming they have a small amount of money (somewhere between $3-10 million to spend), how can they use that money?

In free agency, the first order of business should be bringing back Vit Krejci on a standard contract. The former College Park Skyhawk gave Atlanta solid minutes as a backup wing last season and his contract should be relatively manageable. I also think free agent Saddiq Bey, who tore his ACL at the end of last year, could be brought back on a manageable deal. His three-point shot is his main asset and he did not shoot well from deep last year, but he is still a great glue guy who puts tons of pressure on the rim.

Assuming they bring back Krejci and Bey, Atlanta could use another ball-handler for bench lineups. Murray functioned as the primary or secondary ball-handler in a lot of lineups. Bogdanovic, Daniels or even Johnson could take on that responsibility, but it would not hurt to have another option to get bench lineups organized. I think a low-risk flier on guard Seth Curry could be a nice signing to rectify the issue. He should be able to be signed for the veteran minimum. Anything more expensive would require a trade to open up salary room.

While the free agent class for Atlanta may not be very robust, it does not take away from the fact that they are in a much better position this season than they were at the end of last year. Surrounding Young with wings is a strategy that makes much more sense than a on-ball partnership between Murray and Young.

In terms of the best starting lineup with the pieces currently on the roster, I think it is as follows:

PG: Trae Young

SG: Dyson Daniels

SF: Jalen Johnson

PF: Zaccharie Risacher

C: Clint Capela

Even though it might be controversial to have Daniels in the starting lineup, I think this makes sense for two reasons. First, it allows the Hawks to properly assess how much of a shooter Daniels can become. By giving him consistent minutes next to Young, they will be able to see how he covers up defensive miscues. It will also help them gauge whether he is a long-term piece for the future. Secondly, bringing Bogdanovic off the bench will help preserve his health for the season and maximize his offensive impact as a sixth man.

I would expect this roster to be tweaked even further in the coming two weeks as free agency starts to heat up.