The Hawks have closed the door on the Dejounte Murray chapter. But they still have multiple decisions to make as they look to make the roster better.
After two years of the team trying to make a partnership between Murray and Trae Young work, the Hawks opted to end it. They sent Murray to the Pelicans on June 28 and acquired a trove of players and recouped some draft assets.
The trade became official Saturday as the NBA’s free-agency moratorium ended.
“It was a hard decision,” Hawks general manager Landry Fields said. “It was challenging. We knew that where we ultimately want to be was gonna require some challenging decisions. Just not being at that point, currently, where we felt like we can continue on with what we have. So wanted to reshape some things and this is an unfortunate part of the of the business.
“Dejounte is a fantastic player. But we’re, we’re excited for him and in his journey on in New Orleans, but we’re also very excited about the guys that we got back, got a few assets with it, too, which are going to be helpful for us to continue to build, so I wish him nothing but the best. He and his family have been great with us.”
Though the Hawks have opted to move on from Murray only two years after they gave up two unprotected first-round draft picks, as well as a pick swap, to acquire him from the Spurs, Fields does not look at the move as a failure.
“I look at it as, you know, at the time, we had an opportunity to go get a really good player,” Fields said. “For where we were at, we wanted to take a chance and take a chance to make it to the next level of what we were trying to do at that point in time. I think that at this point, right, (we’re) now faced with another challenging decision in moving him.
“But no, I don’t see it as a failure at all, especially when you look at that and go, ‘OK, what are some things that we learned from that? What are the things that worked out? What were things that didn’t work out well?’ But I think going back, you know, we would definitely take that risk again.”
In exchange for Murray, the Hawks received guard Dyson Daniels, forward/center Larry Nance, forward EJ Liddell and center Cody Zeller.
The Hawks used the traded-player exception created by their trade of John Collins to the Jazz in 2023, which expired July 8, to bring the four players aboard. It created a new exception and gives the Hawks until June to spend the money.
But in acquiring four players from the Pelicans in the trade, the Hawks have placed themselves in a roster crunch. They have 15 players under contract, and they have continued to negotiate with unrestricted free agent Saddiq Bey and restricted free agent Vit Krejci.
They also have to decide whether they plan to guarantee Bruno Fernando’s contract. The team extended the deadline for his guarantee date to July 10. They have worked with his group to try to push back the deadline a second time.
“We’re definitely gonna be in a roster crunch right now,” Fields said. “We’re obviously over the amount of players that we can bring back, so from now until start of the season, we’ll have some more tough decisions to make.”
The Hawks also received a 2025 first-round pick from the Pelicans via the Lakers and a 2027 pick (least favorable from either the Bucks or Pelicans). It gives the Hawks added flexibility for building the roster through the draft with a second draft pick in the first round. Should the Kings make the playoffs, the protected first would convey to the Hawks allowing them to have two picks from a highly touted draft class.
“That was one of our objectives is to get back in a draft class that we didn’t have one,” Fields said. “Obviously in ‘27, potentially have that as well. So that just helps. You get more bites at the apple, and believing in our development system and believing in what Quin (Snyder) and his coaching staff can do for these players, having draft picks is essential.”
But the Hawks feel confident in their roster when it comes to building for the future.
“I think we’re in a good spot,” Fields said. “In terms of who will be on the roster, and who won’t, that’s a question for another day.”
About the Author
