Getty Jalen Brunson getting blocked by Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The New York Knicks have continued to show interest in point guard Dejounte Murray. The Atlanta Hawks have made him available, according to reports, and multiple teams besides the Knicks have shown interest. Of the interested teams, the Philadelphia 76ers, who could use backcourt help, especially when Tyrese Maxey isn’t on the court, have shown interest.
While Maxey and Murray would have to play together, Murray can run different units when Maxey is off the court. The 76ers, similar to the Knicks, have assets that they can move if they want to, making them a legitimate threat to add the Hawks guard. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported the 76ers interest:
“Murray has generated a substantial market during preliminary conversations around the league. The Hawks have been considered one of the more aggressive front offices this season, sources said, in terms of teams that have been willing to approach rival executives with actual trade concepts as opposed to general interest in specific players. And at this juncture, to varying degrees, the Lakers, Knicks, Sixers, Heat and Pistons are five suitors expected to engage Atlanta about acquiring Murray over the coming days and weeks before Feb 8:”
Hawks Could Be Interested in Quentin Grimes
The Knicks might have to up their price if they want to land Murray, but that’s not out of the picture.
It remains to be seen if Dejounte Murray can play with another small guard in the backcourt as his pairing with Trae Young simply hasn’t worked. If that’s going to be a similar outcome in New York, this won’t help the team in many ways.
One could argue that the Knicks are a better team than Atlanta and while that’s likely true, it’s important to recognize that there’s more than just one issue when it comes to the Young and Murray duo.
The Knicks interest, however, is still there for the former All-Star. Fischer added in the article that when the Knicks discussed the trade that sent Cam Reddish to New York in 2022, the Hawks had interest in Quentin Grimes.
“New York is looking at various avenues to upgrade its point guard depth behind Jalen Brunson, sources said, while the Knicks also continue to evaluate center options because of Mitchell Robinson’s ankle surgery. Although with Murray in favor of a fresh start, according to sources with knowledge of the situation, it seems questionable that adding the former All-Star to pair with another ball-dominant lead guard like Brunson would have much different results than Murray’s partnership with Young. Of note: When Atlanta and New York discussed the 2022 trade that brought Cam Reddish to the Knicks, the Hawks valued Quentin Grimes during those talks, sources said.”
76ers Could Get Involved in Other Deals
With the assets that the 76ers currently have, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see them interested in some of the top names on the trade market. Their interest in other players should be reported soon, too, given the ways they want to improve.
With a superstar in Joel Embiid and a young star in Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers have all the tools to get better. They also have a great supporting cast to add a third star and potentially win a championship.