NBA Trade Rumors: New York Knicks eyeing bold deadline move for Dejounte Murray?

NBA Trade Rumors: As the New York Knicks continue to look for the right final piece of their championship puzzle, Dejounte Murray may be in play.

Over the final few weeks before the NBA Trade Deadline, the New York Knicks are one of the teams that many expect to be active and aggressive. Stuck in the second tier of the Eastern Conference hierarchy, if the Knicks are going to emerge as a worthy championship contender down the stretch, they're going to have to add a star at the deadline. That will be easier said than done even if the Knicks have a plethora of future first-round draft picks to throw around.

New York has to find the right difference-maker that will perfectly complement Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett while also containing the ability to be a No. 1 or 1A option. There lies the difficulty in taking that final step into contention for the Knicks.

The Knicks are likely going to have to get creative in finding the final piece. And according to a recent report, that's exactly what they've been trying to do as they work the phones ahead of the trade deadline. Per HoopsHype, the Knicks have had exploratory trade interest in Atlanta Hawks star guard Dejounte Murray.

Could Dejounte Murray emerge as a surprising trade candidate?

The report doesn't indicate if or how receptive the Hawks were but it's certainly an intriguing idea to think about. And it's not like the Hawks should be open to listening to offers for any of their players. Atlanta is struggling and currently finds itself as the 10th seed in the East standings.

The Hawks are another team in the East that will be open to retooling their roster heading into the NBA Trade Deadline. And if they're offered the kitchen sink for Murray, no matter how much they value him as a player, the Hawks should be open to it.

Interestingly enough, Murray isn't a name that hasn't come up much in the rumor mill. And I can't help but wonder if this report is going to be the start of a flurry of whispers that come out surrounding the Hawks and, quite possibly, Murray.

This report also gives insight into how aggressive the Knicks are going to be ahead of the trade deadline. New York is certainly a team that is going to do their due diligence when it comes to finding the right star-level player for the team. Murray would be an interesting fit next to Jalen Brunson but I'm not sure how realistic he is of a target at the moment.