While the Hawks fans had very high hopes for the Dejounte Murray–Trae Young duo when they first joined forces, their era, if you can even call it that, was extremely short-lived. Just two seasons into his tenure, Murray was traded to the Pelicans a few days ago, putting an end to his failed run in Atlanta. With the duo breaking up so early, many even speculated that there was a rift between Trae and Murray which led to this fate. However, Hawks GM Landry Fields rubbished those rumors by revealing the actual reason behind Dejounte’s departure.

Joining the ongoing Summer League broadcast, Fields revealed how the front office decided to trade Murray to the Pelicans. “You know, it was a challenging decision for us. Dejounte is a fantastic player. We knew going into this off-season that we’re gonna have to do some things that’s, uh, you know, were gonna be tough with some of our objectives. But you know, we were able to find a move and a home for him in New Orleans.”

Although many believe the rumored differences between Trae and Murray to be the reason why the latter was traded, it is possible that Murray just didn’t fit the Hawks’ roster. Getting eliminated in the first round last year and missing the playoffs entirely this season, it was evident that the superstar duo wasn’t working well together. And sending Murray away got the Hawks several decent players, including Dyson Daniels, Cody Zeller, Larry Nance Jr, and E.J. Liddell. Moreover, they also got access to two future first-round draft picks, giving Fields the hope for a better future. “We got some great guys back, we got some assets back too. They’re gonna help us reshape this roster, give us some flexibility going forward as we have to continue to build it out.”

Trae Young and Dejounte Murray have denied the rift rumors

With so many rumors going around, even Trae and Murray had to step in to publicly clear the air between them. Joining Trae on the From The Point podcast earlier this year, Murray claimed to have a great relationship with the sharpshooter, “We great, we communicate. You know, it’s authentic.” Reciprocating the gesture, Trae also shared a similar sentiment about his then-teammate, “I think our relationship is good.”

Obviously, not winning games can take a toll on any player, and maybe the tension because of that led fans to believe that Trae and Murray had a rift. However, their admission on the podcast silenced those rumors. And if that was not enough, the two also shared a wholesome interaction upon Murray’s departure as the now-Pelicans’ star shared a farewell message to the Hawks through an emotional IG post, even sharing a picture with Trae Young. Then, even Trae acknowledged Murray’s message by sharing the post on his IG story with the duo’s picture as the cover, saying, “Know what it is 5.”

As the two stars now head on their separate journeys, they will forever be linked because of their time together in Atlanta.