Dejounte Murray’s stellar game-winner helped the Hawks stun the Celtics twice this week

Note to the Celtics: do not play the Hawks again this week.

The Boston Celtics are one of the best teams in the NBA, but they might want to avoid the Atlanta Hawks for the rest of the year.

The Celtics have now lost two games in Atlanta this week, with Hawks guard Dejounte Murray scoring a career-best 44 points on Thursday night and knocking down (essentially) a buzzer-beater to take down the Celtics in overtime, 123-122.

This falls right after Monday night’s 120-118 victory over Boston, with both games surprisingly won for Atlanta without superstar Trae Young.

As Atlanta tries to push for a play-in game for the NBA playoffs, the team dispatching of the best team in its conference twice in a week will certainly help.

As for the Celtics, this is just a brutal way to spend your week in Atlanta. Boston can take comfort in knowing that it won’t have to play the Hawks for the rest of the season, but the playoffs might be a different story.

If Atlanta can ride the hot hand through the rest of the regular season and get Young back in the lineup, the Celtics are the last team that will want to see them.

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Shams Charania identifies two star guards Lakers could pursue this summer

There are two star guards on an Eastern Conference team NBA insider Shams Charania feels the Lakers are in position to go after this summer.

There has been increased speculation about LeBron James’ immediate future. He can opt out of his contract this summer and become a free agent, which brings up the question of whether he will remain with the Los Angeles Lakers past this season.

The Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers reportedly tried to trade for him recently only to be turned down. The Lakers made no moves prior to the deadline, which had to disappoint James, but many think they will look to make a big trade, possibly for a third legitimate star, this offseason.

ESPN personality Kendrick Perkins said this week that L.A. will definitely land such a player, and he even implied he knows who it would be. While on “The Pat McAfee Show,” NBA insider Shams Charania said the team could go after Trae Young or Dejounte Murray this offseason (h/t The Cold Wire).

The Lakers, of course, tried to get Murray prior to the deadline, but they couldn’t come to an agreement with the Atlanta Hawks.

If either Murray or Young would be the right fit next to James and Anthony Davis, such a move could be the thing that keeps James with the Purple and Gold. He has always loved assembling superteams and stacking the deck heavily in his favor.

Jalen Green soars to first career triple-double as Hawks clip short-handed Rockets

Jalen Green (26 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists) had his first career triple-double, but Houston’s short-handed squad couldn’t complete a rally in Atlanta.

In the finale of a frustrating four-game road trip, the short-handed Rockets led by 12 after the first quarter before running out of steam in Saturday’s 122-113 loss (box score) at Atlanta. Dejounte Murray returned from a two-game injury absence and led the Hawks (24-29) with an efficient 34 points, including 12-of-15 on free throws (80%).

As their Western Conference play-in tournament odds continue to fade, the Rockets (23-29) suffered their first four-game losing streak and are 5-20 away from home all season. In a familiar development, Houston’s late comeback bid couldn’t get over the hump despite closing the gap to five points with just over a minute left.

The Rockets, who were on the second night of a road back-to-back after losing Friday in Toronto, were down four key players due to injury: Alperen Sengun (lower back pain), Fred VanVleet (left adductor strain), Tari Eason (left lower leg injury management) and Cam Whitmore (right ankle sprain). The status of those players for the next game, Monday at home versus New York, is not clear.

Given those absences, several of the remaining Rockets stepped into larger roles and fared well offensively. Standouts included:

  • Jalen Green: 26 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists, 5 turnovers; 10-of-22 shooting (45.5%), 2-of-9 on 3-pointers (22.2%)
  • Jeff Green: 19 points, 6 rebounds, 5 turnovers; 6-of-10 shooting (60.0%), 4-of-7 on 3-pointers (57.1%)
  • Amen Thompson: 12 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals; 6-of-10 shooting (60%)
  • Dillon Brooks: 14 points; 5-of-19 shooting (26.3%), 2-of-10 on 3-pointers (20%)
  • Jabari Smith Jr.: 9 points, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks, 4 steals; 4-of-15 shooting (26.7%), 1-of-7 on 3-pointers (14.3%)
  • Aaron Holiday: 18 points, 2 assists in 22 minutes; 7-of-10 shooting, 3-of-5 on 3-pointers (60%)
  • Jock Landale: Season-high 9 rebounds in 13 minutes

However, Houston often struggled to get defensive stops versus Murray and Trae Young’s high-octane Hawks. After holding Atlanta to 19 points in the first quarter, the Rockets lost intensity as the game progressed, allowing 38 points in each of the next two quarters.

Here’s our look at Saturday’s highlights and postgame interviews from Atlanta, along with reaction by media members and fans. With the road trip complete, next up for the Rockets is Monday’s game versus the Knicks (33-19), with the tip set for 7 p.m. Central.

3 players the Nets could bring in based on NBA trade deadline rumors

With the 2023-24 NBA trade deadline on Thursday at 3 PM ET, here are three players that the Brooklyn Nets could bring in.

The Brooklyn Nets have been talked about heavily as the NBA trade deadline on Thursday at 3:00 PM ET is quickly approaching. After starting the season with a 13-10 record, Brooklyn is now saddled at a disappointing 20-30 amidst a host of injuries and roster concerns as the team looks to improve the roster for a potential playoff push.

The Nets have been linked to plenty of players over the course of the past month or so and while there is expected to be less movement because of the new CBA, Brooklyn is predicted to be one of the teams that will be active given their struggles. The Nets also have some tax considerations that they’re keeping in mind as they move forward as well.

Brooklyn is also in an interesting spot in terms of their rebuild as they are not good enough to contend for a title anymore, but have enough talent on the roster to be a playoff team. With that being said, here are three players that the Nets could bring in based on recent trade rumors:

Windhorst: Dejounte Murray-Lakers trade talks have been cold

The chances of Dejounte Murray becoming a member of the Lakers may have significantly dropped.

The biggest impact player linked to the Los Angeles Lakers this trade season has been Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray. He was an All-Star two seasons ago, and some believe he would be somewhat of an upgrade over D’Angelo Russell.

Russell is the one main trade chip in terms of a player the Lakers could trade to get someone of value back, or at least the only valuable player they’re willing to trade. Atlanta reportedly asked for Austin Reaves, whom the Lakers don’t want to trade, and they countered with Russell, which reportedly led to trade talks stalling since Atlanta doesn’t want Russell.

NBA reporter Brian Windhorst said on the “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective” podcast that talks between the two teams have been pretty cold from what he’s heard (h/t Lakers Nation).

“I think the Lakers-Hawks talks have been, I don’t have the up-to-the-second thing, but I think they’ve been pretty cold. Does not mean they cannot restart quickly, but I don’t think that was something that was, at least of the last 24-48 hours, that I heard much about. So we’ll see what happens there.”

It’s looking increasingly likely L.A. will stand pat at the deadline. Some believe its best bet would be to make a big move this summer when it will be allowed to trade multiple future first-round draft picks. The team can only offer its 2029 first-rounder prior to the deadline.

The deadline will arrive at 3 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, which is just hours before the Lakers host the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets.

5 realistic trade targets for the Lakers that would make LeBron James happy

These players are actually available for a price the Lakers can afford.

As we approach the 2024 NBA trade deadline, basketball fans can almost definitely count out any deal involving LeBron James.

But that doesn’t mean that James doesn’t want more talent on the roster in Los Angeles. James is applying pressure on the organization to make some moves, which is not exactly unusual behavior for the four-time NBA Finals MVP this time of year.

This is perhaps a quieter trade deadline than normal because many of the bigger names (e.g. James Harden, OG Anunoby, and Pascal Siakam) were moved earlier this season.

However, several other players are still potentially available and could make for a good fit in Los Angeles.

We looked at some options actually on the market within a price range that Los Angeles could afford. That means the Lakers could realistically make a move for some of the following players if they want to make the playoffs and potentially even avoid the play-in tournament:

Only one team other than the Lakers made a real offer for Dejounte Murray

There may not be much of a market for Hawks guard Dejounte Murray.

With just days to go before the Feb. 8. trade deadline, Los Angeles Lakers fans are growing ever more anxious about a deal going down to improve the team’s roster.

It seems there are two ways the Lakers can go: trade for Dejounte Murray in order to secure an upgrade at the point guard position or go for a 3-and-D wing. While it looks like they may be prioritizing the latter over the former, perhaps Murray could still be had.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports said on “The Saturday Stein Line with Marc Stein” that the Utah Jazz are the only other team in the NBA that has made an actual offer for Murray. However, Fischer also pointed out that L.A. doesn’t have a package Atlanta considers attractive enough (h/t Lakers Daily).

“The only teams I’ve really heard actual offers about have been from the Lakers and from Utah, and the Lakers just don’t have a clear, obvious package that’s gonna give the Hawks the picks they want, a player they want and a player who doesn’t have what’s considered to be bad long-term salary,” Fischer said.

There have been many reports that the Lakers have been in hot pursuit of Murray for at least the past few weeks. But after the Hawks asked for Austin Reaves and the Lakers countered with D’Angelo Russell, whom the Hawks don’t want, trade talks stalled.

But if last season was any indication, perhaps the asking price for a player L.A. wants will drop just before the deadline arrives.

B/R four-team mock trade lands Lakers Dejounte Murray and Tyus Jones

This four-team mock trade could greatly upgrade the Lakers’ backcourt in more ways than one.

The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Atlanta Hawks, 138-122, on Tuesday, giving them their second defeat in as many nights. They are 24-25 and time is running out for them to make any kind of substantial run ahead of the playoffs.

At this rate, the Lakers may not even make the playoffs or even the play-in tournament. For some reason, they keep playing down to the level of their competition when they face a team that is seemingly inferior on paper.

Tuesday’s game also gave the Lakers an up-close-and-personal look at former All-Star guard Dejounte Murray, their biggest trade target. Murray shot 11-of-19, giving him more made baskets than anyone else in the game, and he scored 24 points to go along with nine assists.

The Lakers and Hawks have talked about a potential Murray deal, and reportedly, a third team will need to get involved to receive D’Angelo Russell from the Lakers.

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report proposed a four-team mock trade involving the Hawks, Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards that would net L.A. Murray, as well as another player who could help it right away.

ESPN’s three-team trade proposal sends Dejounte Murray to Lakers

This three-team trade proposal could be the Lakers’ most reasonable way to land Dejounte Murray.

The Los Angeles Lakers can’t stay above .500 for that long this season. Coming into Monday with a 24-23 record and five wins in their last seven games, they fell apart at the seams in a 135-119 loss to the Houston Rockets.

That loss is sure to reignite trade talks involving the Lakers, especially when it comes to Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray. In fact, they may get an up close and personal look at him when they play Atlanta on Tuesday. Murray missed Atlanta’s last game with a hamstring ailment, but he’s listed as questionable for Tuesday’s contest.

While the Lakers and Hawks have talked about a potential Murray deal, the sticking point is the fact that the Hawks reportedly don’t want Russell. Therefore, a third team would be needed to complete such a deal.

ESPN’s Kevin Pelton proposed a three-team trade that would give the Lakers Murray for a reasonable price while finding a good situation for Russell.

Dejounte Murray: Three potential trade destinations

It seems for all the world as though the Atlanta Hawks will be trading Dejounte Murray in the next two weeks. With a 19-27 record that will struggle to make the play-in tournament let alone any noise at the top of the Eastern Conference, they need a …

It seems for all the world as though the Atlanta Hawks will be trading Dejounte Murray in the next two weeks. With a 19-27 record that will struggle to make the play-in tournament let alone any noise at the top of the Eastern Conference, they need a change; even though he was a headline acquisition relatively recently, Murray becomes on the block by default, as he is the most changeable part they have to offer.

Since coming to the Hawks and pairing with All-Star point guard Trae Young, Murray – a one-time All-Star in his own right – has played a different role. When Young is on the court, the ball is or should be in his hands, and Murray’s assists per game totals have taken a hit from 9.1 in his final season with the San Antonio Spurs, down to 5.1 in his first 45 games of this season.

On the flip side, his scoring average this season is a career-high 21.4 points per game, a continuing source of growth throughout his career. Yet Murray’s defense is not enough to offset what Young gives back on that end. It is unclear if anyone could be; nonetheless, if the defensive advantage is not there, then perhaps better offensive cohesion could be.

In terms of what Murray did wrong to be traded; he didn’t. While his defense has wilted somewhat this season, Murray is still a productive two-way player of quite some caliber and of the right age to be valuable. If the Hawks are looking to deal Murray, be it actively or passively, they are not doing so because of his individual failings. They are doing so because they need to make a winning trade.

With this in mind, here are three possible trade destinations for Dejounte Murray to have hit the rumor mill, and the reasons why they all make at least some sense.