NBA Trade Rumors: 3 Non-Zach LaVine difference-makers Lakers should trade for
By Matt Sidney
Atlanta Hawks: Dejounte Murray, PG/SG
Even though Dejounte Murray's glamour stats are still very tantalizing since he joined the Atlanta Hawks, it feels like he and Trae Young haven't truly gelled together on the court. It still very much looks like this is Trae Young's team and the offense will continue to run through the high-usage guard. Should the Hawks be looking for a change, and their recent play might suggest they are, the Lakers should jump at the opportunity to bring in Murray.
The Lakers could use better guard play on both ends of the court. It wasn't long ago that D'Angelo Russell was being benched in the playoffs because he couldn't perform well enough on defense to keep him on the court. This is the issue with microwave-scoring guards with little defensive talent - when they are hitting shots and outpacing their defensive inefficiencies, they are worthy of playing time.
When they aren't hitting shots, they shouldn't be on the court. Murray is a long, tough, defense-first guard, the type of guard that the Lakers haven't had since Lonzo Ball. Murray is best with the ball in his hands, but his superior court vision and impressive passing acumen allow him to find open players all over the court. His fit with LeBron and AD wouldn't be an issue.
Look at Murray's stats throughout the first five seasons of his career and every year his assists per game go up until he is traded to Atlanta. In his first season in Atlanta, his assist numbers drop from 9.2 assists per game to 6.1 assists per game. His assists this year are down to 5.2 APG. The Lakers don't have too many natural ball movers and passing maestros on their roster. Murray would change that and I wouldn't be surprised to see him bring those assist numbers up if he were traded.
With the way the season is trending for the Hawks, Murray could be had for much cheaper than when the Hawks initially traded for him. This would be great for a Lakers team looking to make a move to get them back to relevance.