NBA Mock Trade: Should Nets Acquire Hawks' Dejounte Murray?

Should the Nets try to make a move for the defensive-minded star guard?

Apr 14, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray (5) dribbles the ball / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The offseason is here and in full force for the teams that didn't make the NBA playoffs, which the Brooklyn Nets are in the pool after a disappointing 30-52 campaign this past season.

With the hiring of Jordi Fernandez, the franchise is looking to turn things around. They've got the talent to be a playoff team in an Eastern Conference that's pretty weak compared to the Western Conference. Destroying the roster and building through the draft doesn't make as much sense -- given they don't control their future draft picks.

The Nets can still rebuild through the draft, owning four future unprotected first-round picks from the Phoenix Suns, but any small tweaks in the near future will have to come through trades. Bleacher Report wrote a mock trade for each of the 14 teams to have missed the postseason.

The mocked trade for the Nets would bring Atlanta Hawks star guard Dejounte Murray to Brooklyn. In the trade, Brooklyn would be parting ways with Dennis Schröder, Dorian Finney-Smith and two future first-round picks (one with a top-five protection).

"Hiring first-time NBA head coach Jordi Fernandez apparently does not signal a willingness from the Nets to explore another rebuild. They don't sound like a team prepared to do something brash, but general manager Sean Marks doesn't seem like he's content to bide time in the sub-middle, either," Bleacher Report wrote.

Again, stripping the roster for a rebuild doesn't make sense as they don't control their future picks. Playing in the middle ground isn't fun, but building a roster suited for a star to come in and make a contender makes the most sense.

"Brooklyn does not control its own first-round pick again until 2028. Starting over would require an iron stomach identical to the one Marks sustained when he first took the gig in 2016—unless, of course, he's ready and willing (and able) to use Mikal Bridges to recoup the Nets' first-rounders from the Houston Rockets," Bleacher Report continued.

If the Nets can use Mikal Bridges to acquire more and more draft capital, they'll be in a good position for a rebuild. Of course, securing their own picks would be the best-case scenario, but having a plethora of first-round picks to ensure chances to hit on picks is a need for a rebuild.

The picks the Nets do have, though, can be used to draft talent wherever the picks fall or can be used to trade for more solid players until they are in a position to rebuild in what seems to be popular fashion anymore -- using their own pick and stripping the roster to get a top pick in the draft. Dejounte Murray is a perfect player for that scenario.

"Murray represents a happy medium—a fringe All-Star on a bargain deal (four years, $114.1 million) who brings much-needed creation and table setting at the lead-guard spot while elevating the defense (even if only slightly these days)," Bleacher Report wrote.

A core of Murray, Bridges, Cam Johnson and potentially Nic Claxton is a very solid defensive squad that also has creation around shooters and a great pick-and-roll big in Claxton. It's certainly a perennial playoff team turned contender if they would be able to land a star in free agency, though that doesn't seem as likely. Either way, remaining relevant and controlling as much as they can while waiting for their ownership of their draft picks to return seems to be the best-case scenario.

For the Hawks, this would have been a failed experiment with Murray paired alongside Trae Young but also helps build a roster more suited for their superstar moving forward. It would hurt them to eat the trade that sent out a few first-round picks, but it'll be needed if they want to give the current roster a fresh look and new play style.

"Atlanta's end of the deal is harder to reconcile. Two firsts, a backup point guard and a combo wing amounts to less than they gave up for Murray. But if remaining competitive and balancing out the roster is the endgame, Schröder and DFS help accomplish just that without complicating the long-term payroll," Bleacher Report continued.