Is Dejounte Murray really a better trade option than Trae Young?

Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray.

The Atlanta Hawks are a team headed nowhere fast. Since making a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, the Hawks haven’t been able to advance past the first round of the playoffs. This year Atlanta was eliminated during the play-in tournament.

Now rumors are circulating about the Hawks potentially wanting to split up their dynamic backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. Reports are that both players could be traded. But which of these All-Stars hold a higher value around the NBA?

Most fans and NBA analysts would likely go with Young. He is a little younger (by exactly two years) and has been a more prolific scorer during his six years in Atlanta. However, if you ask ESPN NBA Insider, Bobby Marks, his answer might catch many off guard.

"The interesting thing is what happens with Trae Young. When you talk to teams and look at the landscape of the league, the window for Trae Young to maximize the most value in a trade has closed. I believe it closed about two years ago… There's not a lot of teams that are willing to ante up and get Young. Dejounte Murray actually has more trade value than Trae Young at this stage," said Bobby Marks of ESPN.

Regarding contracts, Young’s is less desirable than Murray’s, especially for would-be contenders around the Association. Anyone attempting to make a deal for Young would be looking at paying him $43M next season. Murray’s contract comes with a $25M price tag next season.

That’s a bargain in today’s NBA for a two-way guard with size. Young has been an offensive dynamo during his career but when he’s not dominating his team rarely stands a chance. And for $43M the expectation is for Young to be dominant no matter where he plays next season.

With Murray, you get a player who gives maximum effort at both ends of the court. Murray may not have as many huge scoring outbursts as Young, but he’s been a model of consistency throughout his career.

During his last season in San Antonio, Murray came close to averaging a triple-double with 21.1 ppg, 9.2 APG and 8.3 RPG. He even led the league in steals (138) that season, averaging 2 per game. Young isn’t a slouch when it comes to playing passing lanes to the occasional steal but he’s never totaled more than 80 in a season. Murray’s nabbed at least 100 steals in five consecutive campaigns.

Everyone knows the NBA is about scoring which is what makes Young’s game so attractive on the trade market. But once contracts and all-around games are factored into the equation, it’s a lot closer than initially thought. This seems to be what Marks is getting at with his comments. In the grand scheme, Young is elevated strictly because of offense and primarily his scoring ability.

Marks is looking past that one aspect and focusing on overall value and fit especially when it comes to salary cap considerations. Because of the new collective bargaining agreement, it’s going to become much tougher for teams to house three max contract players moving forward.

So, considering all of this, Marks may be correct about Murray’s value being higher than Young’s at this time. Is Marks on point in his assertion? Or is he off on this one? We’ll likely find out soon.

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