Haynes: Bucks Among Teams Interested in Dejounte Murray amid NBA Trade Rumors

The Milwaukee Bucks are interested in trading for Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, according to NBA on TNT and Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes.

The Bucks are one of "multiple" interested suitors, Haynes said.

Andscape's Marc J. Spears reported Tuesday that the Hawks "are in the exploratory phase of trading Murray."

Murray is averaging 21.0 points and 4.8 assists alongside 4.1 defensive rebounds per game. He is in the final year of his four-season contract and carries a $18.2 million cap hit for this season.

Murray, 27, spent five seasons in San Antonio as a point guard before moving over to shooting guard with the Hawks in order to play alongside Trae Young last season.

That point guard experience is part of the reason Murray has been previously connected to the Los Angeles Lakers, with The Athletic's Shams Charania identifying him as a "potential target" for the Lakers in late December.

The Athletic's Jovan Buha reported Friday that these talks have "stalled, but are expected to pick back up closer to the (Feb. 8) deadline."

According to Buha, negotiations with the Lakers centered around trading D'Angelo Russell and Jalen Hood-Schifino, as well as draft stock including a 2029 first-round pick, for Murray.

The Bucks cannot compete with that kind of draft compensation after giving up a bevy of future assets in order to acquire Damian Lillard. The team only has two tradable upcoming draft picks, second-rounders in 2024 and 2027, according to Forbes' Evan Sidery.

Milwaukee would be able to match Murray's salary by moving key bench players Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton, whose cap hits combine to just over $20 million. But both Portis and Connaughton are signed through 2025, with player options through 2026, making them a longer-term commitment for the Hawks to consider.

Could a pair of veteran bench players and two second-rounders measure up to the Lakers potentially handing over Russell and a first-round pick? It could all come down to who the Hawks believe will be the best fit alongside Young.