JJ Redick is now the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, taking over for Darvin Ham who was let go after the Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs.
Rob Pelinka, the GM, plans to be very active this offseason. He wants to build a team that meets high expectations. NBA insider Shams Charania mentioned that Dejounte Murray might be a trade target for the Lakers.
“The pressure’s on the Lakers front office to make major changes on the roster,” Charania said. “…One name that they did pursue last season at the trade deadline that I think teams around the league expect to come up again in trade conversations over the next week or so and makes sense for the Lakers is Dejounte Murray with the Hawks…The Lakers have maintained a level of interest in Dejounte Murray over the last several months.”
“The pressure is on the Lakers front office to make changes to this roster..
They have to be aggressive and I think Dejounte Murray will come up in trade conversations”@ShamsCharania #PMSLive
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow)
Possible Trade for Dejounte Murray:
Murray could be just what the Lakers need. He’s great both offensively and defensively and has shown he can work well with other star players like Trae Young. With him, they’d get a strong ball-handler and playmaker they’ve been lacking.
In his 78 games with Atlanta this season, Murray averaged 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. Oddly enough, Atlanta performed slightly worse when he was playing compared to when he was benched (-2.3 points). This could be due to overall defensive issues within his team.
Fans might wonder if trading for Murray means moving D’Angelo Russell since having both wouldn’t make much sense without one coming off as second fiddle.
If Pelinka thinks Murray can bring needed two-way skills to their backcourt, then going after him would make sense. His ability to drive into defenses and read plays fits perfectly alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
This summer looks busy for Pelinka and Redick will have ideas about how he wants his team set up. If adding Murray helps achieve those goals, it might kickstart Redick’s new era with some fresh faces instead of sticking with what got Ham fired.
What do you think about these potential changes?
