30 in 30: Can Dejounte Murray resurrect the Atlanta Hawks’ hopes?

The Atlanta Hawks have a higher ceiling heading into 2022-23

If nothing else, there’s one thing we know about the Atlanta Hawks – it’s that they will have a higher ceiling heading into the new year. That’s what trading for an all-star caliber player will do for a team that already has a talented young roster.

Adding Murray to the core of Young and Collins will only add intrigue to a team that has made the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. And Murry will be a great addition to the backcourt. He’s the exact player you want to play next to Young and is still improving as a player.

The big question surrounding the Hawks is whether the addition of Murray alone will be enough to help the Hawks return to contender status in the Eastern Conference. Quite frankly, that’s difficult to answer.

We have to see it on the court first. Plus, we also can’t forget that Collins is somewhat lost in the middle too.

During the offseason, the overwhelming opinion was that he was going to be traded. When it didn’t happen, many seemed to forget that entire storyline. Perhaps the Hawks had a change of mind or didn’t particularly like his value on the open market. Either way, he will, at the very least, start the season on the roster.

On paper, the Hawks have a strong core (Young, Collins, Murray, Okongwu). But who knows if that will stick if they get off to a slow start.