By Raphielle Johnson
Another major domino has fallen before the official start of free agency, as the Atlanta Hawks have reportedly thrown in the towel on the Trae Young/Dejounte Murray experiment. Murray is headed out the door, with Atlanta reportedly trading him to New Orleans in exchange for Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, EJ Liddell, and two future first-round picks.
While Murray was a top 40 fantasy player in 8- and 9-cat formats, his value took a hit compared to his best seasons in San Antonio. Moving to New Orleans, which had a clear need to address at point guard, could boost Murray into top 25 territory at a minimum. However, this won’t be the only change to the Pelicans rotation before the start of next season.
Jonas Valanciunas will be an unrestricted free agent, and the expectation is that the Pelicans will have a new starting center next season (Baylor center Yves Missi was the team’s first-round selection). There has been no shortage of trade speculation regarding Brandon Ingram, and with the slender forward heading into a contract year, he may be the odd man out if David Griffin wants to make any other significant changes to the lineup.
As for the Hawks, while Nance and Daniels aren’t “glamorous” fantasy options, the latter could have added value in his new home. Let’s look at how this reported trade will impact fantasy basketball next season.
Pelicans receive:
Dejounte Murray
With Atlanta following up its run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021 with a first-round playoff exit, the Hawks front office took a home-run swing by acquiring Murray from the Spurs in exchange for Danilo Gallinari and three future first-round picks. Murray was coming off his first All-Star season, and the hope was that he could pair up with Young and give the Hawks a needed spark as they hoped to contend in the East. Unfortunately, the fit between the two guards always appeared awkward, even if they continued to put up solid individual numbers.
Murray went from providing top 10 per game and total value during his final season in San Antonio to ranking just inside the top 40 in the former, according to Basketball Monster. Appearing in 74 and 78 games during his two seasons in Atlanta mostly protected Murray’s total value, as he provided top-25 value. Last season, he posted averages of 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.6 3-pointers in 35.7 minutes, shooting 45.9% from the field and 79.4% from the foul line.
The question fantasy managers will have to answer heading into drafts this season is whether or not Murray can get back to his 2021-22 production or if that halcyon campaign was “fool’s gold.” If there are no other significant moves, he’ll be sharing the basketball with CJ McCollum (24.7 usage), Brandon Ingram (27.2), and Zion Williamson (29.7). While none of those players boasted a usage as high as Young (30.5), Ingram and Williamson did finish with higher rates than Murray (26.6).
The exits of Daniels and Nance will benefit some of New Orleans’ supplementary players, although the need to add talent in the post becomes even more significant. Herb Jones, a fixture in the starting lineup as one of the best wing defenders in the NBA, and Trey Murphy are players whose respective fantasy values would be boosted if Ingram were to be traded this summer. If not, the opposite could happen, as Murray’s arrival should shift McCollum to shooting guard.
Hawks receive:
Dyson Daniels
EJ Liddell
Larry Nance Jr.
2025 first-round pick (via LAL)
2027 first-round pick (via ATL or MIL)
Atlanta may not have received a star in return, but Murray’s exit will have a significant impact. As noted above, Young had a usage of 30.5 last season, and that number should increase if the Hawks decide to stick with him as their starting point guard. A 3rd-round player in 9-cat formats, Ice Trae sat a few spots outside the 1st-round in 8-cat (removing the 4.4 turnovers per game). During the 2021-22 season, Young was a 1st-round player in per-game value and ranked inside the top 5 in totals, according to Basketball Monster. The continued development of Jalen Johnson could ensure that the Hawks point guard’s usage doesn’t shoot through the roof, but Young will have the ball in his hands even more if there aren’t any other significant moves.
As for the players the Hawks will receive in this reported trade, Daniels should intrigue fantasy managers. He did not crack the top 150 in per-game or total value last season, averaging 22.3 minutes per game. With pending restricted free agent Saddiq Bey recovering from a torn ACL and De’Andre Hunter having a checkered medical history as a pro, Daniels could have a slightly more straightforward path to consistent rotation minutes than he did in New Orleans. However, he’s only played in 59 and 61 games during his two NBA seasons, so fantasy managers should temper their enthusiasm.
Murray’s exit should also benefit Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kobe Bufkin. The latter played limited NBA minutes as a rookie last season. Could the former begin next season as a starter? Even if Bogdanovic remains in the sixth-man role, he won’t lack for playing time due to Atlanta’s need for his scoring punch. As for Liddell, he may be in a better position to offer value physically, as the 2023-24 season was his first after a torn ACL suffered in Summer League action sidelined him for all of 2022-23. However, fantasy managers should not be targeting him in drafts.
Nance’s situation is interesting, as the Hawks already have Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu on the roster. Capela’s name has come up in trade rumors, and heading into the final season of his contract, the veteran center could be attractive to teams needing help at center. Nance is in a similar position, as he will also be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Nance can certainly offer fantasy value next season, but his ceiling will be limited unless Atlanta moves Capela this summer.
As for Okongwu, his new contract goes into effect this season, so fantasy managers should expect to see him serve as Atlanta’s cornerstone in the middle. Will he be a starter to begin next season? That’s certainly possible, given the rumors surrounding Capela.
