NBA Rumors: Hawks Want 3rd Team for Lakers' D'Angelo Russell in Dejounte Murray Trade

The Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks may need a little help to get a Dejounte Murray trade done.

In an appearance on FanDuel TV, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks had "pretty extensive conversations about a Dejounte Murray trade a couple of weeks ago" that would have seen the Lakers give up D'Angelo Russell.

Charania reported that the Hawks were not interested in Russell and were instead looking for another team to make the move happen.

"The hold-up was that Atlanta wanted to find a third team for D'Angelo Russell," Charania said. "He's got a player option for next season. They want to find a spot where they might be able to get an expiring contract back."

Charania reported that the initial conversations had the Lakers giving up Russell, a 2029 first-round pick and a pick swap. With Russell set to have the aforementioned player option worth $18.6 million, it appears the Hawks desire more financial flexibility in order to retool the roster for the future.

Murray has been the subject to trade rumors for several weeks, and the Hawks had reportedly entered the "exploratory phase" of moving the guard last week. He has been linked to the Lakers as well as the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets. He has even been linked to the San Antonio Spurs, who dealt him to Atlanta ahead of the 2022-23 season.

It's not difficult to see why various teams are interested in the 27-year-old. He is averaging 21.1 points, 5.0 assists and 4.9 rebounds in 42 games this season. He is also under contract through the 2026-27 season, which means the team acquiring him will be able to plan for his presence on the roster for the next few years.

Atlanta appears ready to move on from him due to its 18-24 record and the theory that he is not gelling alongside All-Star guard Trae Young.

As Atlanta looks to retool, acquiring an expiring contract would allow the team to grab the player who fits the system best in the offseason, and someone like Russell could be a commitment through the 2024-25 season.