The Atlanta Hawks went into the NBA Trade Deadline looking like a surefire lock to make a big trade.
Dejounte Murray’s name was floated in multiple deals, and it felt as though him being shipped off to the Los Angeles Lakers was a done deal.
Ultimately a last-minute roadblock emerged and scuttled a potential Murray-to-L.A. swap.
Because of that, the Hawks’ future is very much up in the air at the moment.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Atlanta may opt to go in a different direction than anyone expects them to this summer.
“Perhaps the more significant reason why Trae Trade Talk has a more tangible feel than ever before: There appears to be a true market forming for Young for really the first time in his six seasons as a Hawk,” he noted.
“The decision to keep Murray, however, certainly has more than a few front offices out there believing that the Hawks could reach the point—provided this season doesn’t end well—that they entertain the most dramatic possible reset,” Stein added.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports recently reported something similar.
As a result, per Stein, there are multiple franchises out there who believe that the Hawks will retain Murray this summer and simply offload Young.
If the organization does go that route, two clear frontrunners have emerged for Young’s services.
Brittany Mahomes’ Encounter With Post Malone Goes Viral (Video): https://t.co/x5KcS1uJR8
— Game 7 (@game7__) February 12, 2024
“There are several front offices that listened to Atlanta’s pre-deadline chatter and came away from conversations with the Hawks of the belief Trae Young could become available for trade this summer — depending on Atlanta’s outcome for the remainder of this campaign,” he wrote.
What awaits Young, Murray and the Hawks throughout the rest of 2024? Time will tell.
Related: 3 Frontrunners Emerge As Boston Celtics Buyout Candidates
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.