Despite being put together by the Atlanta Hawks a couple of seasons ago, the pairing of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray in the backcourt didn’t really work out well. The former, meanwhile, has spoken up about his time playing with the current New Orleans Pelicans star.
New Orleans has bolstered their roster with the acquisition of Murray in a trade with the Hawks during the offseason. The move comes as part of the Pelicans’ offseason efforts to fortify their squad and build a contending team around the dynamic duo of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
In the trade, the Pelicans sent Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, E.J. Liddell, Cody Zeller, and a pair of future first-round draft picks to the Hawks. The Hawks, on the other hand, were looking to reshape their roster around Trae Young and felt that the Murray experiment had not yielded the desired results.
The addition of Murray to the Pelicans’ lineup is seen as a significant boost to their backcourt and defensive capabilities. Murray, known for his two-way prowess, will complement the Pelicans’ offensive firepower and provide additional playmaking and perimeter lockdown abilities.
With this trade, the Pelicans have positioned themselves as a formidable contender in the Western Conference, as they look to make a deep playoff run and challenge for the NBA title in the upcoming season.
Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young Admits True Feelings Over Breakup With Dejounte Murray
Months after the Murray trade went down, Young appeared in an episode of Podcast P with Paul George, presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment, to talk about his time playing with the former San Antonio Spurs star.
“I mean it was good and bad, you know what I’m saying? The only bad part is we didn’t get to win as much as we wanted to be honest with you. The good part is we have a lifelong relationship. Our relationship goes outside of basketball. We’re both family men. Our morals are very much similar as far as who we have around us…The way we get along off the court is forever.
That’s why our relationship is forever. But on the court, it’s just tough. We wanted to win but it’s just sometimes we’re not the first duo that couldn’t work and we’re not going to be the last…it just didn’t work out on the court and it sucks. It sucks and we both admitted it sucks and that’s just part of the game. If it doesn’t work, teams have to figure out what to do next and make moves.”
“I think it was tough. Both very unselfish in ways so it’s like there were times early where I’m just, I’m passing it to him and he wants to be aggressive but he’s a point guard too, so he’s not, you know what I’m saying, thinking score first all the time. But when I’m on the court sometimes he’s a shooting guard, but sometimes, you know what I’m saying?
So it’s kind of like the combination just kind of didn’t work and on paper you may think it would because I mean in San Antonio he is a really good defender, known as just a defender, wasn’t really known as a scorer, but just a defender can kind of do everything. Rebound score, but get other guys involved. But when he came to us… it’s just a different feel and so it just sucks it didn’t work,” Young said.
Ultimately, the Hawks’ decision to trade Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans this offseason was a recognition that the pairing was not yielding the desired results. Young expressed his disappointment, but also acknowledged the reality of the situation he was back in then.
The Hawks’ offseason moves, including the acquisition of Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher, suggested a renewed focus on building a roster that better complements Young’s strengths and the team’s evolving identity. It remains to be seen whether Atlanta made the right call when the new season starts.
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