The Los Angeles Lakers have been searching for an upgrade at the point guard position but have yet to make a splash.
Former Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray seemed like an ideal target for Los Angeles, but a well-known NBA source detailed why a trade never materialized.
“The (Atlanta) Hawks went down this road last year with the (Los Angeles) Lakers,” ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on the "The Hoop Collective" podcast. “There was a time where there was a lot of momentum, at least on the Lakers’ side, where they thought they had a great chance to get Dejounte Murray. At the end of the day, D’Angelo Russell being in that deal, and I don’t know if it was they were going to have a third team or whatever, but the Hawks weren’t down with that.”
Essentially, the Hawks were not interested in acquiring an erratic playoff performer who offers minimal defensive value. In Los Angeles, Murray would have served as a dependable offensive weapon with a more intriguing defensive upside.
During his two-year stint in Atlanta, Murray poured in 21.5 points per game on 46.1% shooting from the field and 35% shooting from three. The Hawks were outmatched in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs, but Murray played inspired basketball against a loaded Boston Celtics squad. He scored an average of 23 points per game and connected on 44.7% of his field goals and 37.8% of his three-point jumpers.
On July 6, the Hawks dealt Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller and two future first-round picks. The Lakers may believe they are in decent shape entering the 2024-25 season, but it is well-documented that they missed out on a valuable asset.
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