Sources — Hawks to trade Dejounte Murray to Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans are including Dejounte Murray to their backcourt through a commerce with the Atlanta Hawks, sources informed ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday.

The Pelicans are sending two first-round picks — a 2025 choice through the Los Angeles Lakers and a 2027 choice (least favorable from both the Milwaukee Bucks or New Orleans’ personal) — to the Hawks for the 27-year-old Murray, sources mentioned. Forwards Larry Nance Jr. and E.J. Liddell and guard Dyson Daniels are additionally going from New Orleans to Atlanta within the deal.

Murray averaged a career-high 22.5 factors in 2023-24 for the Hawks whereas additionally making a career-best 201 3-pointers. He averaged 6.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds whereas sharing the backcourt with fellow star Trae Younger.

In 2022, Atlanta despatched three first-round picks to the San Antonio Spurs for Murray with hopes of constructing its backcourt of the long run. Nonetheless, it did not pan out the way in which the workforce hoped; the Hawks by no means made it previous the primary spherical of the playoffs with the 2.

In 2021-22, because the lead guard in San Antonio, Murray averaged 21.1 factors, 9.2 assists, 8.3 rebounds and a league-leading 2.0 steals per recreation.

Since transferring to Atlanta, Murray has seen his 3-point shot develop in an enormous method.

In 5 full seasons with San Antonio — Murray missed the 2018-19 marketing campaign with a torn ACL — he made 218 3-pointers whereas taking pictures 33.0% from distance. He hit 334 in his two seasons with Atlanta, topping out at 36.3% in 2023-24.

Murray’s four-year, $114 million extension, signed final offseason with Atlanta, has not kicked in. He’s set to make $25.3 million subsequent season and can have a participant possibility for $31.3 million in 2027-28.

The Pelicans, who earlier Friday picked up the workforce choices on Jose Alvarado and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, are actually hard-capped on the first apron. They’ve 12 gamers beneath contract and are sitting $2.6 million beneath the tax and $8.5 beneath the primary apron, in response to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

New Orleans was 0-22 when coming into the fourth quarter whereas trailing final season and noticed an enormous drop-off in manufacturing in clutch video games — outlined because the rating being inside 5 factors with beneath 5 minutes left in fourth quarter or additional time — with an offensive ranking (101.5) that ranked twenty sixth in such moments. The Pelicans’ minus-12.1 web ranking in clutch video games ranked twenty fourth within the league.

Murray, although, ought to assist there.

He hit 40 clutch discipline targets final season, fifth most within the NBA. He additionally hit three go-ahead photographs within the closing 5 seconds of fourth quarter/additional time, tied with Stephen Curry for probably the most within the league.

Murray and Nikola Jokic have been the one gamers to document 1,500 factors, 500 assists and 100 steals final season. Murray additionally joins Luka Doncic as the one guards to common 20 factors, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in every of the previous three seasons (minimal 40 video games in every).

An All-Defensive Group honoree in 2018, Murray is the one participant with a minimum of 100 steals in every of the previous 5 seasons.

Daniels was the No. 8 choose within the 2022 NBA draft and has proven promise on the defensive finish, averaging 1.4 steals this previous season in simply 22.3 minutes per recreation. A 6-foot-8 guard, he averaged 5.8 factors, 3.9 rebounds and a couple of.7 assists in 2023-24.

Nance arrived in New Orleans as part of the CJ McCollum deal on the 2022 commerce deadline and battled accidents all through his time there. He averaged 5.7 factors and 5.0 rebounds a season in the past because the Pelicans‘ backup 5 who usually closed video games.

Liddell was a star at Ohio State however tore knee ligaments throughout a summer season league recreation in 2022 and missed the following season after surgical procedure. He appeared in eight video games this previous season for New Orleans.

The deal ends the Murray-Younger partnership after simply two seasons. The Hawks nonetheless owe unprotected 2025 and 2027 picks, in addition to an unprotected 2026 swap, to the Spurs.

Data from ESPN Stats & Data was used on this report.