Hawks' Dejounte Murray Out vs. Celtics with Back Injury Ahead of NBA Trade Deadline

The Atlanta Hawks ruled guard Dejounte Murray out of Wednesday night's matchup with the Boston Celtics due to lower back tightness.

That may lead to speculation that Murray could soon be on the move, as he's been a regular source of trade rumors ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

That being said, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on Wednesday's The Hoop Collective podcast (58-minute mark) that talks between the Hawks and the team most regularly linked to Murray, the Los Angeles Lakers, have grown "pretty cold" ahead of Thursday's deadline.

Jovan Buha of The Athletic added on Tuesday that the Lakers don't want to "empty the cupboard" in a potential Murray trade "beyond their initial offer of D'Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Schifino, the 2029 first-round pick (preferably protected) and additional draft compensation."

Meanwhile, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported Wednesday that there's "mounting noise around the league that the Lakers aren't expected to pursue a major upgrade before the deadline," which would take them out of the Murray sweepstakes.

He added that the New Orleans Pelicans and the Hawks held trade talks surrounding Onyeka Okongwu, Clint Capela and Murray, but there's been "little traction on anything developing" between the teams.

Which means it's highly possible that, despite all of the buzz, Murray is going to remain in Atlanta beyond Thursday.

The 27-year-old is averaging 21.4 points, 5.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game this season, shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 37 percent from three. He was an All-Star in the 2021-22 season and his ability to score, facilitate and play solid perimeter defense would bolster many teams.

So why a relatively lukewarm market for his services?

Well, the Hawks traded Danilo Gallinari, three first-round picks and a first-round pick swap to the San Antonio Spurs in June 2022 for Murray and Jock Landale. They aren't going to get back that level of return in a deal for him but are likely still seeking multiple first-rounders.

Murray, however, is probably best utilized as the third-best player on a contending team, and those type of players don't generally fetch enormous offers. Plus, the contenders that might be interested may not have multiple first-rounders they can currently trade, including the Lakers, who only have access to their 2029 first-rounder in negotiations.

Murray is in his prime, his upcoming four-year, $114 million extension isn't prohibitive and he's a solid, multi-tool player. The Hawks have every reason to ask for a big return. The market just hasn't developed favorably for them, and a summer trade may make more sense if both sides are still seeking a change.