Adrian Wojnarowski says that the San Antonio Spurs are giving All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Danilo Gallinari and three first-round picks.
The Hawks will give the Spurs Charlotte’s first-round pick in 2023 and their first-round picks in 2025 and 2027. The Spurs and Hawks will also be able to trade picks in 2026.
The Spurs made the deal a few days after picking three players in the first round of the NBA draft. Forward Jeremy Sochan from Baylor at No. 9, guard Malaki Branham from Ohio State at No. 20. And combo guard Blake Wesley from Notre Dame at No. 26. Since San Antonio picked him with the 29th pick in the 2016 draft, Murray, 26 years old, has only played for the Spurs.
Murray’s a good defender.
In 2018, he was named to the second team of NBA All-Defensive players. And Murray has become a threat from both court ends in his five NBA seasons. Last season, he made his most memorable All-Star group. He averaged 21.1 points, 9.2 assists, 8.3 rebounds, and the most steals in the league, which was two per game. Murray has two years left on a contract that pays him $64 million over four years.
San Antonio’s five-time NBA champion coach Gregg Popovich, who is 73 years old, is getting close to the end of his career. This move means that the team will continue to rebuild its roster. Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News says that Popovich agreed to the trade and is happy to coach a young team next season.
Young is reportedly “Ecstatic”
The Hawks, on the other hand, now have one of the most exciting backcourts in the NBA with Trae Young and Jamal Murray. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports says that Young is “ecstatic” about playing with Murray. And that the Hawks think the pair will help Young take his game to a new level. He talked about the trade on Twitter soon after hearing about it.
Young, who is 23 years old, just got his first All-NBA honor as a third team member. It was his second time making the All-Star team. Last season, he averaged 28.4 points, 9.7 assists, and 3.7 rebounds, and he made 38.2% of his 3-point shots.
In Atlanta’s new backcourt, it’s not yet clear who will handle the ball most of the time. Murray will probably guard the best players on the other team, giving Young more energy to use on offense. Kevin Huerter, who was Atlanta’s starting shooting guard last season and averaged 12.1 points and shot 38.9 percent from 3-point range, will probably be the sixth man after the trade.
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