LOOK: Trae Young welcomes Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young welcomed his newest teammate, Dejounte Murray, to his team after a blockbuster trade on Wednesday. The Hawks traded for the All-Star guard from the Spurs for three first-round draft picks and Danilo Gallinari, along with a future pick-swap. Young is joined by a rising star who made his first NBA All-Star appearance last season after a breakout year.
Trae Young welcomes Dejounte Murray to Atlanta
Young and Atlanta fans across the league are excited by the huge acquisition, making good on a trade rumor that had been building steam for some time. Initial reports of the trade being discussed indicated that the Spurs were seeking John Collins in return for Murray along with draft picks, but it appeared that the Spurs moved past Collins early in the trade talks.
Ultimately, the price point for Murray was a haul of draft picks as the Spurs enter what appears to be a rebuilding mode with head coach Gregg Popovich entering his 26th year on the NBA sideline. Popovich became the winningest coach of all time last season and will now be tasked with developing a cast of young stars without Murray.
Murray has dramatically improved over the past three seasons after suffering a season-ending ACL tear in 2018. In 2019, Murray averaged 10.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists — jumping to 21.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 9.2 assists last season. Murray’s defense improved as well, finished with 2.0 steals per game last year.
Atlanta finished 8th in the Eastern Conference last season and met the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs — where they were taken down 4-1 for a quick exit. The Hawks finished the season with a 43-39 record and defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Play-In Tournament to secure the No. 8 seed.