Dejounte Murray ‘is worth more than Trae Young’ amid trade rumors

Dejounte Murray, guard of the Atlanta Hawks, “is more valuable than Trae Young at this stage,” said Bobby Marks of ESPN on NBA today (h/t Pelicans Film Room).

The Hawks are the team to watch on Wednesday when the NBA Draft begins in Brooklyn. Atlanta has the first pick and it’s not entirely clear what the team plans to do at this point.

And then there is the matter of the Hawks’ two star guards, about whom there have been rumors and speculation for months that they are planning a transfer.

It’s easy to see why Murray would reportedly be worth more if traded. Nick Angstadt of Locked on Mavs explained:

Admittedly, Young is the better scorer, shooter and distributor, but Murray is also much better defensively and can keep up offensively (22.5 PPG, 6.4 APG).

The Los Angeles Lakers were the No. 1 team to watch for Murray as LA and Atlanta had trade talks before the 2024 deadline that fell through. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, LA is willing to make its 17th pick available in a potential deal.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony also linked Murray (and Collin Sexton of the Utah Jazz) to the Lakers in deals that include the No. 17 pick.

There’s a little too much smoke here to completely ignore the connection. As for Young, according to Fischer, he apparently sees the Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs as attractive destinations should he be traded.

Ultimately, the Hawks will make a move after three years of treading water following their surprise appearance in the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals. The team managed just a 36-46 record and finished 10th in the East last year, with Young and Murray forming the backbone of the team, so it seems like a matter of time if and when at least one of them will be moved.