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The Atlanta Hawks have acquired point guard Dejounte Murray in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
San Antonio will receive Danilo Gallinari and multiple first-round picks in return.
With Murray headed to Atlanta, here’s a look at the Hawks’ updated depth chart:
PG: Trae Young
SG: Dejounte Murray, Kevin Huerter
SF: De’Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, AJ Griffin
PF: John Collins, Jalen Johnson
C: Clint Capela, Onyeka Okongwu
Murray is coming off a breakout 2021-22 season, earning his first All-Star selection while averaging 21.1 points, 9.2 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game. Not only were all of these career highs, he also led the NBA with 2.0 steals per game.
It helped him finish a close second in voting for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award behind only Ja Morant.
Murray had always been a strong defensive player for the Spurs, earning All-Defensive honors in 2017-18 before missing the entire next season with a torn ACL. He has expanded his offensive repertoire in the past few years, allowing him to become an impact player on both ends of the court.
He finished the 2021-22 season tied for ninth in the NBA in value over replacement player, per Basketball Reference, putting him even with Stephen Curry and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Despite the production, Murray couldn’t prevent the Spurs from struggling to a 34-48 record. It was the third straight year without a playoff appearance after the franchise had made 22 postseasons in a row.
The latest trade indicates San Antonio is moving fully into rebuild mode, getting the assets needed to create a winner down the line.
Murray is one of the league’s biggest bargains with a $16.6 million salary in 2022-23 and $17.7 million in 2023-24, per Spotrac, but the Spurs are likely more than two years away from contending.
The Hawks are instead looking to take the next step toward a title after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals two years ago. The 2021-22 season didn’t have the same strong finish, as they lost in the first round of the playoffs, but the talent on the roster makes them a dangerous opponent for anyone.
Murray also complements Trae Young as an elite defender who can take on the tough assignments in the backcourt.
With the deep rotation of scorers on the roster, Atlanta could be a team to watch in 2022-23.
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