Murray will be an interesting partner for Atlanta Young in the backcourt. As the best defensive second-team player in the 2017-18 season, Murray will undoubtedly be an upgrade on the court for the Hawks, who ranked 26th in defense last season and were the worst team in the playoffs. . Murray can provide good defense. While he hasn't reached his full defensive peak since recovering from an ACL tear in the 2018 preseason, he has a high steal rate and is an excellent defensive rebounder for a defender. Murray has the ability to take on tougher defensive tasks in the backcourt, allowing Young to hide next to less threatening opponents.
Murray is in his prime and has two years left on his cheap deal. $16.6 million this season and $17.7 million in the 2023-24 season.
Not sure if this puts the Hawks in the top half of the Eastern Conference playoff standings. I would still put them after Boston Celtics , Heat , Milwaukee Bucks .
Giving up three first-round picks makes sense if a player takes the team to a vital new level.
The benefit of giving up two unprotected picks is giving Atlanta a little flexibility to trade for additional first-round picks. Currently, the Eagles can trade their own draft picks in 2023 and 2029. The flip side is that there's no parachute if the Eagles' future goes even worse than planned. (Murray, for example, leaves as an unrestricted free agent in 2024 because his low salary makes an extension impractical).
Atlanta made a big bet on the combination of Murray and Young. For the sake of the team's future, this bet better be right.
