Getty Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks spins against Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers.
As the Los Angeles Lakers and the Atlanta Hawks began to exchange trade ideas for former All-Star guard Dejounte Murray, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, will an expanded framework get the deal done?
That’s the idea posited by an NBA executive to ESPN’s Zach Lowe if the Hawks insist on getting Austin Reaves back in the potential Murray deal.
“I had an [NBA] executive from another team spitball with me yesterday (January 11), could the Lakers, if Reaves is involved, construct a bigger deal where they get Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovich, the sharpshooter they so badly need? Now that’s got to include Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, more draft compensation and Jalen Hood-Schifino,” Lowe said on “NBA Today” on January 12.
But pulling off such a complex deal is easier said than done.
“It just starts to get super complicated, particularly with the Lakers already over the tax and near the hard cap as Bobby Marks reminded me. These deals — the more players you add to them, the harder they are to construct but for a player of Dejounte Murray’s caliber, I think the Hawks are rightfully going to say we need Austin Reaves and the Lakers are going to say oh that doesn’t seem awesome for us. It’s a tough, tough spot.”
Wojnarowski said the Hawks would want to recoup close to what they gave up — 3 first-round picks, 1 pick swap — for Murray two summers ago. But the Lakers are only limited to one draft capital (2029 or 2030 1st round pick) to offer in any in-season trade.
Reaves, the player Hawks covet from the Lakers roster, holds the key to a potential Murray trade.
How far are the Lakers willing to go to supplement their LeBron James-Anthony Davis star duo?
Why Lakers Are Reluctant to Include Austin Reaves
The Lakers are not inclined to part ways with Reaves, a homegrown player that they drafted and a budding star.
Lowe believes a Murray for Reaves swap is just a “lateral move” for the Lakers. Lowe’s ESPN colleague, Dave McMenamin, explained the Lakers should only consider moving on from Reaves if it is for a “can’t miss” star.
“I can’t imagine a better role player because [Reaves] has the trust of those two guys [James and Davis],” McMenamin said on the January 8 episode “The Lowe Post” podcast. “He has the confidence of those two guys. He’s been a proven playoff performer. He has the trust and the kind support of the Buss family — the brothers who identified him in the draft process and Governor Jeanie. That’s a point of pride for her to have someone like Austin Reeves who was a homegrown Laker organization product [and] become a star.”
Lakers’ Strong Rivals in Dejounte Murray Pursuit
Despite Murray’s supposed strong ties with the Lakers owing to sharing the same representation Klutch Sports with top stars James and Davis, the pathway to a deal faces multiple roadblocks.
The Hawks, according to Wojnarowski are talking to multiple teams, not just the Lakers.
TNT/Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes revealed one of them to be the Toronto Raptors, who are shopping Pascal Siakam.
Another threat to the Lakers’ bid is their old Western Conference rivals and Murray’s former team, the San Antonio Spurs, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Unlike Los Angeles, San Antonio has a deep draft capital and young players — a combination that could entice Atlanta if the Hawks are going to rebuild.