SUMMARY
- The Knicks acquired Anunoby in exchange for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a 2024 second-round pick.
- The focus shifts to the trade deadline approaching, with the Atlanta Hawks' star guard Dejounte Murray becoming a sought-after player.
The February trade deadline is approaching, and teams are eyeing certain players. Two blockbuster trades have already taken place. The Toronto Raptors have traded Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers and OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks. The Knicks acquired Anunoby in a trade that sent RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a 2024 second-round pick to the Raptors.
Now, the Knicks seem to be eyeing the star guard of the Atlanta Hawks for the next trade. Dejounte Murray seems to be the next target on the trade block. Franchises like the Los Angeles Lakers, Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and many others have reported interest in Murray. While the Lakers and Knicks appear to be the top contenders on the list, the Knicks might be planning to cut down on their offer for the player.
As per @MikeAScotto
Knicks “aren’t in a rush to push their chips all in” for Dejounte Murray after acquiring OG Anunoby.
Terry Rozier, Malcolm Brogdon, and Alec Burks are the target for the Knicks. pic.twitter.com/dDBHl7gGzj
— Big Knick Energy (@BigKnickEnergy_) January 18, 2024
According to The Ringer, the Hawks are asking for “at least two first-round picks” in exchange for Murray. However, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, “Knicks aren’t in a rush to push their chips all in for Murray at this time.” The article also states that the team is gauging the market to guess what the player is worth.
In the meantime, the Knicks are planning to deal with the expiring contracts of Evan Fournier and Quentin Grimes. Since there seems to be an asking price fluctuation for Murray, the Knicks might wait until the offseason to sign another star on the roster. Furthermore, the team is eyeing other stars as well. Some among them are star guards of the Trail Blazers, Malcolm Brogdon, and Hornets’ guard Terry Rozier.
Amidst this speculation related to the trade, the 27-year-old established stellar gameplay against the Orlando Magic.
Dejounte Murray hits the game-winner amidst trade talks
The Atlanta Hawks faced off against the Orlando Magic on January 17, 2024, on a home stand at State Farm Arena. In the last seconds, the Hawks outshined the Magic by a whisker (106–104). And the buzzer-beater was scored by the star guard, Murray. 9.2 seconds were left in the fourth quarter, and Paolo Banchero of the Magic drained a 3-point pullup jump shot. Both teams were then standing at 104-104.
DEJOUNTE MURRAY WINS IT FOR THE HAWKS 🚨#TissotBuzzerBeater #YourTimeDefinesYourGreatness@TISSOT pic.twitter.com/65f9wDaGrc
— NBA (@NBA) January 18, 2024
Murray then made a two-pointer pullup jump shot and led the win by a margin. Murray finished the night with 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in his 36 minutes on the hardwood. The difficult midrange pull-up shot over the outstretched arms of Markelle Fultz amplifies the gameplay skills of the Hawks’ guard. Although Quin Synder, head coach of the Hawks, was trying to call a timeout, fate turned out to be in Murray’s favor.