There seemed to be the potential for some big moves by the Hawks on draft night, but they never came to fruition. Atlanta ended up standing pat and picking 16th, and they even traded back in the second round from 44 to 51. However, that doesn’t mean we aren’t close to something of significance happening.
According to Zach Klein, many people around the league believe the rumored trade with the Spurs for Dejounte Murray could be on the verge of becoming a reality, but there has been a twist. Klein says John Collins is not expected to be apart of the deal, as the Spurs shift their focus to a total rebuild.
In talking with multiple sources around the NBA, many believe Hawks on verge of trading for San Antonio's All-Star guard Dejounte Murray – However, it's looking like John Collins is not part of deal. Would be Gallo & multiple 1st round picks. Spurs prepping for future & '23 draft
— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) June 27, 2022
Murray is coming off an All-Star campaign in which he averaged 21.1 points, 9.2 assists, and 8.3 rebounds. He is also one of the best defensive guards in the league and is on an extremely team friendly contract. Murray is owed $32 million over the next two seasons before he is set to become an unrestricted free agent.
With all of that in mind, the Spurs will rightfully want quite a bit in return in a potential trade. I understand why they don’t have much interest in Collins, given that they are heading into a rebuild and don’t want to take on the remaining four years of his contract.
However, the Hawks aren’t going to land Murray by sending the Spurs Gallo and a couple of first round picks that aren’t likely to land in the lottery. Several young players will have to be involved, and it’s possible the Hawks will have to move Collins in a separate trade to acquire more assets to facilitate a deal with the Spurs. Either way, this is exciting news for Hawks fans, who have been jumping at the bit for the team to pair Trae Young with another All-Star. Murray is just that, and if Travis Schlenk can somehow keep Collins as well, this team has the pieces to make a lot of noise next season.
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