Getty Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks drives against Dejounte Murray #5 of the Atlanta Hawks.
After missing out on Dejounte Murray two summers ago, the New York Knicks are taking another shot.
The Knicks are among several teams who have expressed exploratory trade interest in Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, according to Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto.
“Murray can’t be traded until Jan. 9 after agreeing to a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the Hawks in July. However, given Atlanta’s sluggish start to the season as a fringe Play-In team following Jalen Johnson’s injury, nothing can be considered off the table for the Hawks in addition to usual trade suspects De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela,” Scotto wrote.
Murray is averaging 20 points, 5.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals while shooting a career-best 37.4% from long distance this season. His backcourt partnership with Trae Young has not panned out in Atlanta.
Despite a head coaching change in the middle of last season, bringing in former Utah Jazz head coach Quinn Snyder, things haven’t changed for the better. The Hawks currently sport a 12-15 record, good for the last play-in spot in the Eastern Conference if the season ends today.
At 6-foot-5 with a 6’10” wingspan, Murray is the type of rangy, athletic guard whom the Knicks envision next to Jalen Brunson in their backcourt.
It cost three first-round picks for the Hawks to get Murray from the San Antonio Spurs in the summer of 2022. But that trade was consummated under a different regime. The Hawks now have former Knicks player Landry Fields as their general manager.
The Knicks have eight tradable picks, including four with varying protections from different teams, plus the expiring salary of Evan Fournier and young prospects Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes.
Tom Thibodeau Defends Jalen Brunson from Criticisms
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau shielded Brunson, his star point guard from two-time WNBA coach Becky Hammon’s comment that he is not a “1A star” because he’s “too small.”
“They’re paid for their opinions, so it’s just a bunch of chatter. The only thing that matters is what we think,” Thibodeau said via New York Daily News’ Kristian Winfield.
Brunson is in the midst of an All-Star season. The 6-foot-2 burly point guard is putting up career highs in scoring (25.3), rebounds (4.0), steals (1.1) and 3-point shooting (46%) while leading the Knicks to a 16-11 start.
“Anyone who doubts him doesn’t really know him,” Thibodeau added, via The Athletic’s Fred Katz.
Becky Hammon Doubles Down on Jalen Brunson’s Take
Hammon did not back down from her comment despite a widespread backlash from Knicks fans.
The 6-time WNBA All-Star stood by her take, doubling down on X (formerly Twitter) with a lengthy post to explain her analogy further.
For the record…
On the December 21 episode of the “NBA Today,” Hammon said the Knicks don’t have that “dude,” the “1A star” to hang with the Eastern Conference elite teams.
“My philosophy, if your best player is small, you’re not winning [championships],” Hammon said. “I’m saying this [about Brunson] as a small person. This is a game that [favors] the big and bold. It favors that god-given gift and I love Jalen Brunson but are you going to put him on the level of a 1A, are you putting him with Giannis [Antetokounmpo]?”
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Knicks Among Teams Interested in $120 Million Star: Report