As the Los Angeles Lakers currently sit at .500 more than halfway through the season, it’s starting to become clear that a trade will be necessary before the February 8 deadline to get the team back into championship contention.
The most popular name linked to the Lakers in recent weeks has been Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray. Even though Murray has been playing extremely well lately with two buzzer-beaters in the last week, the backcourt fit with Trae Young is not great.
Furthermore, Murray has a four-year, $114 contract million extension set to kick in next season, making him a prime candidate to be traded.
The Lakers are said to be looking for speed and athleticism in their backcourt, which makes Murray a solid fit. The 27-year-old guard matches well with the Lakers’ timeline and is a Klutch Sports client, so there definitely seems to be a match there.
Whether or not the Lakers have the assets to acquire a player of Murray’s caliber is a different question, however. Considering the Lakers are said to be unwilling to trade Austin Reaves, their package would likely center around D’Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Schifino and 2029 first-round pick, the only one they are able to deal at this time.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on FanDuel TV’s “Run it Back” where things stand as of now, and it seems that the Lakers and Hawks got pretty close to a trade although it would be contingent on finding a third team for Russell:
“The Lakers and Hawks did have some pretty extensive conversations about a Dejounte Murray trade a couple weeks ago. They were centered around D’Angelo Russell, a 2029 first-round draft pick and a pick swap, I’m told. The holdup was that Atlanta wanted to find a third team for D’Angelo Russell. He’s got a player option for next season, they want to find a spot where they might be able to get an expiring contract back.
“I would expect the sides to circle back as we get closer to the February trade deadline. But listen, D’Angelo Russell, the last five games, I think we need to give him credit for the way he’s playing, 27 points a night, six assists per game, about five 3s per game as well. His splits are unbelievable, 56% from the field over the last five games. He’s gotten a lot of flack over the last month or so, he’s been in and out of the starting lineup. He’s back in the starting lineup now and has played at a really high level for the Lakers over the last five games.”
While that type of deal would certainly make a lot of sense for the Lakers, Russell’s recent play may have them rethinking it. Since returning to the starting lineup, Russell is averaging 27.2 points and 6.4 assists while shooting 55.9% from the field and 53.7% from 3 (8.2 attempts) in five games.
Russell may have his warts defensively, but there’s no denying the offensive talent that is there as he is shooting 41.2% from deep on 5.7 attempts in 40 games this season. That is definitely a player that can help a team, whether it be the Lakers or elsewhere if they are able to find a third team that satisfies what the Hawks are looking for in addition to the draft compensation.
With still more than two weeks until the deadline, talks between the Lakers and Hawks are expected to pick up closer to February 8.
Lamar Odom thinks Lakers should trade for Dejounte Murray
One person who is on board with the Lakers acquiring Murray, regardless of what it takes to get him, is franchise legend Lamar Odom.
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