NBA Trade Rumors: The Atlanta Hawks may have already chosen which star to keep this offseason. It could lead to a blockbuster trade this summer.
Heading into the offseason, there's a growing expectation that the Atlanta Hawks will be one of the most active teams in the NBA. With whispers all season long that the Hawks could make a big move to retool their roster, all signs point to such a move taking place during the offseason.
The early indications are that the Hawks are going to trade one of their star players this summer - Dejounte Murray or Trae Young. At least for now, there seems to be an early favorite to be on the move.
According to a recent report, the Hawks may be leaning toward trading Young and keeping Murray this summer. There's a lot that can change between now and the offseason but this is certainly an interesting element before the start of what could end up being an offseason full of player movement.
Why the Atlanta Hawks may rather keep Dejounte Murray over Trae Young
In trying to read between the lines of this report, it may seem difficult to understand why the Hawks may want to keep Murray over Young. However, there are some signs that point to this supposed preference. For one, Murray is on a much cheaper contract moving forward. Murray is due $89 million over the next two seasons and then has a player option worth roughly $49 million for a third year. On a much more affordable contract, Murray is due roughly $83 million over the next three years and then has a $31.5 million player option for a fourth season.
That could be one of the primary reasons why Atlanta may prefer to keep Murray on the roster over Young moving forward. There's an argument to be made that Murray is the less high-patience personality considering he isn't at the superstar status that Young is at this point in his career, while having similar productivity.
But even then, that's almost impossible to prove without behind inside that locker room and in the midst of the conversations between Young and the coaching staff/front office.
From all indications, it seems as if there's a good chance the Hawks end up moving on from one of their cornerstone stars. At least for now, Young may find himself on the outside looking in this summer. If so, it could make for a chaotic offseason in the NBA.