Dejounte Murray Returns to Action, Hawks’ Draft Pick Implications Loom

New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray is poised to return to the court, a development that could have significant ramifications for the Atlanta Hawks, specifically concerning future draft picks acquired in the trade that sent Murray to New Orleans.

Murray’s Return from Injury

After recovering from an Achilles injury, Dejounte Murray is set to develop his season debut on Tuesday. He asserts he is ready to play and won’t be a chump.

The Trade Breakdown

The Atlanta Hawks traded Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans in June 2024 for a package including Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller, E.J. Lidell, and two first-round draft picks. The 2025 first-round pick comes via the Los Angeles Lakers, while the 2027 pick is protected and will be the least favorable of picks held by the Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks.

Hawks’ Roster Overhaul

This trade signaled a significant roster overhaul for the Hawks, as stated by Hawks GM Landry Fields: Our goal is to build a contending team that can compete deep into the playoffs. It became evident after further analysis and evaluation this offseason that we needed to reshape our roster and regain assets that would allow us to further build out our team. Fields acknowledged the difficulty of trading Murray, adding, It is certainly difficult to trade a player like DJ, but we knew it was best for our organization to move forward this way.

Potential Impact on Atlanta’s Draft Pick

The return of a player like Murray to full health could impact the Pelicans’ performance, and the value of the draft picks sent to Atlanta. Reports suggest Murray’s performance could tank the Atlanta Hawks’ draft pick.

Hawks’ Recent Draft Activity

Prior to the Murray trade, the Hawks selected Zaccharie Risacher of France with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. They also traded AJ Griffin to Houston to acquire a second-round pick used to obtain the rights to Nikola Djurisic of Serbia.

The Pelicans are hoping Murray’s return will bolster their playoff chances, while the Hawks are focused on building for the future with their newly acquired assets.