Following the 2024 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers and the rest of the league can fully devote their attention to the offseason where numerous moves are expected to be made.
The Boston Celtics may have won the championship, but there are several teams, including the Lakers, who can talk themselves into contending during the 2024-25 season. Los Angeles is facing immense pressure to win and the team has been active canvassing the NBA for potential trades to improve the roster.
The Lakers have been linked to just about every star player in the market, most notably Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray. The Hawks have reportedly been open to listening to offers on all their players, but Murray’s drawn the most interest because of his contract and two-way play at the guard spot.
A couple of days before the start of free agency, it appears Murray is on the move as Atlanta has reportedly traded him to the New Orleans Pelicans, via Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Full trade on ESPN: Dejounte Murray for Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, 2025 first-round pick (via Lakers), 2027 first-round pick (least favorable of Bucks-Pels) https://t.co/4BLEuDodqT
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2024
Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels and two first-round picks is a decent haul for Murray, though some might think it wasn’t enough for an All-Star level player. The return seems to signal that the Hawks are willing to embrace a rebuild, which means fellow star guard Trae Young and the other role players on the roster could be up for sale too.
This trade removes one target for the Lakers who reportedly could have had Murray for themselves had they been willing to offer Austin Reaves in a deal. However, the organization values Reaves a great deal and has even been singled out by head coach JJ Redick as a player he’s excited to coach.
Due to the new CBA, trade returns seem to be less than what people expect and so perhaps this is a sign that the purple and gold can get a deal done themselves. However, the Lakers will need to be aggressive with their offers considering other teams are in hot pursuit of upgrades.
Dejounte Murray congratulated Bronny James for being drafted by Lakers
The Lakers made NBA history when they took Bronny James with the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. After hearing his name called, players like Austin Reaves and Dejounte Murray congratulated him.
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