As the NBA trade deadline approaches, the intensity of the drama surrounding potential trades has escalated, particularly in the case of Atlanta Hawks’ standout player Dejounte Murray.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been actively pursuing Murray since the beginning of the year. While an earlier report indicated that the Lakers had abandoned their proposal due to failed negotiations, a recent report paints a different picture. Murray, not seeming pleased with the situation, shared a cryptic post on his social media.
Forbes Sports contributor Evan Sidery reported a “sense of inevitability” regarding Murray’s trade to the Lakers. Sidery also suggested that the Lakers might have passed on D’Angelo Russell as part of the trade.
In response to the ongoing trade rumors, Murray took to Instagram to share photos of himself and his family, accompanied by a cryptic caption emphasizing the importance of real-life happiness over social media. The intention behind Murray’s post remains unclear, but it coincided with the circulating fake trade reports in the NBA world.
Having played a supporting role to Trae Young in the Hawks, Murray could potentially assume a similar role alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis at Crypto.com Arena. Murray’s stock rose significantly after he recently delivered two consecutive buzzer-beating game winners.
In addition to his clutch performances, Murray boasts an average of 21.4 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. Comparatively, D’Angelo Russell has an average of 16.6 points, 2 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Despite Murray seemingly being a preferable option over Russell, Lakers fans hold a different opinion.
The rumors surrounding D’Angelo Russell’s potential trade have coincided with a series of outstanding performances by the 27-year-old, averaging 27 points in the last six games, outperforming even franchise leaders Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
In response to the trade speculation, fans have taken to social media to express their disapproval of trading Russell.
Instead, they advocate trading Austin Reaves, who has experienced a slump in recent games. However, reports indicate that the Hawks’ trade demands include an All-Star candidate, with Russell being the sole player fitting that criteria.
