With Dejounte Murray Gone, Does The Door For A Trae Young Trade Open in San Antonio?

The San Antonio Spurs have the resources to make a big push this offseason, but whether or not they will is still in the air. That being said, they'd be remiss to not at least explore the fire sale happening in Atlanta.

Nov 30, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) dribbles the ball in the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at the Frost Bank Center. / Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

After a rocky 2023-24 season as the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, rumblings immediately began on what the future — and the offseason — would hold for the Atlanta Hawks. 

Simply put, the Trae Young-Dejounte Murray backcourt experiment has simply not panned out since it began two years ago, and the Hawks as an entity haven’t regained nearly the same amount of success since their 2021 Eastern Conference Finals run. Both guards have been in trade rumors since the offseason began, and one finally came to fruition Friday.

Murray is now a New Orleans Pelican. 

New Orleans has landed Dejounte Murray to anchor the Pelicans backcourt pic.twitter.com/NzLStHAU6Z

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2024

Trading its second best player for a package mainly centered around picks sets off signals that more may be coming in the following weeks for Atlanta, not to mention it declining to tender a qualifying offer to Saddiq Bey — a key piece from last year's roster.

Seriously pushing for the playoffs again next season seems unlikely, despite the Hawks landing Frenchman Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 overall pick last week, if they continue to make moves in this direction, especially if Trae Young's future comes into play.

In other words, a rebuild seems increasingly imminent.

READ MORE: If Victor Wembanyama Was 'The Wave,' the NBA is Certainly Riding It

It’s very possible the 25-year-old sticks around with the Hawks going forward. Even if his production has gone down in the last couple seasons, he came away with 25.7 points and 10.8 assists per game last season — good enough to still be considered one of the NBA’s top point guards. Resetting around him is a logical possibility, but if another team has enough interest and puts together a compelling offer, then resetting completely is just as logical. 

Although their interest has reportedly lessened as of late, the San Antonio Spurs could still be one of those teams that sways Atlanta’s decision. 

Mar 19, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) dribbles in front of San Antonio Spurs guard Malaki Branham (22) in the second half at Frost Bank Center. / Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

The issues that Young brings are obvious. He has clear defensive limitations, which is a weak point that consistently gets exposed by opposing guards. He also is a demanding offensive player that needs the ball in his hands on most possessions to be effective, which has shown to create problems for his teammates at times.

The Spurs, however, are a team that needs elite guard play, and he’s demonstrated the ability to bring that since he entered the league.  

The need to bring Young to the roster does get a little more complicated after San Antonio’s selection of Stephon Castle with the No. 4 overall pick. The UConn Husky has the potential to be the point guard of the future, so bringing on Young could hurt his development as a franchise cornerstone in the long run. 

READ MORE: What Did We Learn From Spurs' Draft Picks, Trades?

Luckily, with his 6-foot-6 frame, moving to shooting guard wouldn’t be outlandish for Castle. He is a defensive-minded player, which would help compliment Young and hide his deficiencies in the starting lineup. There isn't a huge reason to believe the two couldn’t co-exist, it just comes down to how big, and what kind, of a role the Spurs want him to have in his rookie year. 

The potential for elite pick-and-roll play between Young and Victor Wembanyama is also exciting, and would absolutely help San Antonio with making a playoff push next season. The 20-year-old playing alongside a floor general with smart decision-making and elite passing is ideal in his development, so it’s a move that should be considered again now that Murray has been dealt. 

It’s unclear what direction the Hawks will decide to go in, but while the possibility is there, the Spurs have the capability to make a big splash early into Wembanyama’s career.

Should they put a lot of their future and high-upside players into the Young basket? Probably not.

But if they can get him without sacrificing too much, the risk may be worth taking.