SUMMARY
- Dejounte Murray is an NBA star that the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to acquire.
- Murray is not a very good defender or three point shooter.
With the NBA trade deadline just a few days away, discussions regarding the moves that the Los Angeles Lakers could make in order to improve their standings in the Western Conference. Several trade rumors appear to be focused on acquiring Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks.
As Lakers fans will certainly be aware, their team has not been doing too well more than halfway into the 2023-2024 NBA season. At the moment, LeBron and the Lakers currently hold a record of 24 wins and 25 losses, giving them the 9th position in a competitive Western Conference.
Since this is a team that managed to make it all the way to the Western Conference Finals last season, the expectations for the Lakers have been set quite high this season. While one might assume bringing in a star guard like Dejounte Murray could turn their situation around, here are 3 reasons why the Lakers should hesitate in making a move for Murray.
The Los Angeles Lakers need a defense-oriented guard
Although LeBron James and Anthony Davis usually get the lion’s share of the blame for the Lakers’ struggles, both stars have been on the court consistently this season. However, their team has been unable to improve their record due to several other problems.
D’Angelo Russell has been playing better for the Lakers recently
In the event that the Lakers decide to make a move for Dejounte, they will certainly have to include D’Angelo Russell in a trade package along with other trade assets in order to convince the Hawks to part ways with their star.
Dejounte Murray signed a 4-year contract with the Hawks last season
If the Lakers could trade away just D’Angelo Russell for Dejounte Murray, the team might have seriously considered this trade. However, Murray is on a larger contract when compared to D-Lo and is locked in with the Hawks for the next 4 years. Therefore, Atlanta would undoubtedly want other assets from the Lakers in order to go through with this trade.
If the Lakers will have to include other important players such as Austin Reaves in a trade for Murray, they will likely have to give up a lot more in the hopes of getting better. For all of these reasons, Los Angeles should consider its other options as the NBA trade deadline approaches.