Pelicans add All-Star talent by trading for Dejounte Murray

Dejounte Murray (5) reacts after making a go-ahead basket with less than a second left against the Boston Celtics during overtime at State Farm Arena.

The Atlanta Hawks have traded Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, a 2025 first-round pick via the Los Angeles Lakers and the least favorable 2027 first-round pick from either the Milwaukee Bucks or Pelicans, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

After trading three first-round picks for Murray in 2022, the Hawks have officially ended the Murray-Trae Young experiment. The backcourt duo failed to make any serious playoff push, missing the playoff in 2023-24 and losing in the first round in 2022-23.

In his two seasons with the Hawks, the 27-year-old Murray has developed into one of the best two-way guards in the league, averaging 22.5 points per game, 6.4 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals. The one-time All-Star has also set career-highs in points per game (22.5 in 2023-24) and three-pointers made (201 in 2023-24). Despite having a career year in Atlanta, the veteran guard will be gearing up for this third team in just four seasons.

Murray will be paired with C.J. McCollum in the backcourt and will have the presence of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson in the frontcourt. The Pelicans are a team that was 0-24 in games where they trailed entering the fourth quarter and 2-14 in close games. The addition of Murray — a guard who could generate his own offense and is willing to take clutch shots late in games — could very well aid a sometimes stagnant offense. In 2023-24, Murray ranked fifth in the NBA for the most clutch field goals (40) and was tied for first with three go-ahead shots in the final five seconds of games. The Pelicans' 26th-ranked offense should rise with Murray on the roster.

In return, the Hawks will be acquiring a 21-year-old guard in Daniels, who will be entering his third season in the league. In 16 starts last season, Daniels averaged eight points and 4.3 rebounds. The young, versatile guard will fit into a relatively youthful Hawks team that consists of 11 players 25 years old or younger.

Joining Daniels on his journey to Atlanta is Nance Jr. The 31-year-old forward will be joining his fifth team since coming into the league in 2015-16 and will be the second-oldest player on the Hawks. During his time with the Pelicans, Nance Jr. served mainly as a role player, providing leadership off the bench. Lance has a career 57.3 field goal percentage and has consistently averaged at least five points and rebounds for the majority of this career.

Though the Hawks will be receiving picks in part of the trade, they still owe the Spurs unprotected 2025 and 2027 first-round picks.

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