Report: Dejounte Murray Leaves Atlanta Hawks to Join New Orleans Pelicans

Dejounte Murray has reportedly made a surprising move, leaving the Atlanta Hawks to join the New Orleans Pelicans. This unexpected transfer is set to shake up the NBA landscape. Read more.

By Rakesh Mehra

Published on Jun 29, 2024 | 12:26 PM IST | 63.1K

Image Courtesy: Twitter

Dejounte Murray is joining the New Orleans Pelicans' backcourt through a trade deal with the Atlanta Hawks, according to information from sources shared by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday.

The Pelicans dealt two first-round picks to the Hawks in exchange for 27-year-old Murray; these include a pick in 2025 from the Los Angeles Lakers and the lesser favorable pick in 2027 from either Milwaukee Bucks or their own. The deal also involves Larry Nance Jr., E.J. Liddell, and Dyson Daniels, all three forwards from the Pelicans, transferring to the Hawks.

Previously, in 2022, Atlanta traded three first-round picks to the San Antonio Spurs to acquire Murray to fortify its future backcourt. But, disappointingly, this move didn't yield the expected results for the team, with the Hawks unable to power past the first round of playoffs with the duo.

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Murray's evolution from San Antonio standout to Atlanta sharpshooter

In his transition from San Antonio's top guard to Atlanta's sharpshooter, Murray significantly improved. For the Hawks in 2023-24, he reached career peaks, averaging 22.5 points and making 201 3-pointers. Alongside fellow star Trae Young, he was also able to average 6.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds.

During his time as San Antonio's lead guard in 2021-22, his performance averaged 21.1 points, 9.2 assists,8.3 rebounds, and a leading 20 steals per game in the league. A noticeable improvement has been traced in Murray's 3-point shooting when he transferred to Atlanta.

With five complete seasons in San Antonio - excluding the 2018-19 season hindered by a torn ACL – Murray successfully made 218 3-pointers with a 33.0% shooting distance. This significantly improved during his tenure with Atlanta, where he hit 334 shots in two seasons and reached a 36.3% peak in 2023-24.

Despite signing a four-year, $114 million extension with Atlanta last offseason, the money has yet to come into play. Next season, Murray's set to earn $25.3 million and has the option to top that to $31.3 million in the 2027-28 season.

Last season, New Orleans' performance dipped, entering the fourth quarter trailing in all 22 matches and observing a major decrease in their output during clutch games. Clutch games are defined as having a score difference within five points with under five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter or overtime. Their offensive rating of 101.5 in these crucial moments ranked them 26th in the league. With a net rating of minus 12.1 in clutch games, they stood at 24th place.

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