NBA Rumors: Hawks' Quin Snyder Lobbied Team to Keep Dejounte Murray amid Trade Buzz

Amid trade rumors surrounding Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, head coach Quin Snyder lobbied for the Hawks to keep him on the team, per NBA insider Marc Stein.

"Another interesting wrinkle to emerge on the Murray front: League sources say Coach Quin Snyder has lobbied the Hawks to keep him," Stein wrote.

Murray has been finding his groove in the past few weeks despite his name potentially being on the trading block. His solid play and an affordable contract have led to Snyder going to bat for him in the front office.

Murray, who is in his seventh year in the league, is putting up a career-high 21.4 points per game along with five rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He recently hit a pair of back-to-back game-winners over the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat and has averaged 23.8 points per game over the past month

Next year, he will be in the first year of a four-year $114 million contract extension.

Murray has been linked to a possible trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, who are currently fighting for a spot in the playoffs, but Stein reported last week that a Lakers trade involving Murray is "unrealistic."

With a potential deal with the Lakers possibly fizzling out and Snyder wanting to keep Murray around, it's not clear what the Hawks' next move will be regarding the two-way guard.

It is clear, however, that Atlanta needs a spark to get back in the playoff conversation. The Hawks currently sit in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings at 19-27, and they have lost eight of 14 games this month.

Star point guard Trae Young has been productive this season, averaging 27 points and 10.8 assists per game, but that—plus the play of Murray—hasn't been enough to keep Atlanta consistently in the playoff mix.

In the first year of the Young and Murray era a season ago, the Hawks managed to reach the postseason and even won a pair of games in the first round against the Boston Celtics. Atlanta is still capable of winning with Young and Murray leading the way, but at the midway point in the season, it's clear something needs to be fixed.