The Atlanta Hawks finally pulled the trigger. With the duo of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray not finding any success in the last two seasons, many expected the Hawks to part ways with at least one of them this summer. And the axe fell on Murray as he got sent to the Pelicans in a blockbuster trade. Many also blamed the rumors about a locker room rift between the two stars as the reason why they never worked. However, Murray and Young silenced all the critics by publicly quashing their rumored beef after an emotional farewell message from the former All-Star.
Finally soaking in the news of his departure from Atlanta, Murray compiled his two-year journey with the Hawks in an Instagram post, sharing multiple nostalgic images with teammates along with a heartfelt message, “ATLANTA…Thank You For Welcoming Me And My Family And Making Us Feel Like We Was At Home. To My Brothers Over The Past 2 Years In ATL I Appreciate You Guys And Love You Guys Forever. To The Staff That I Built Relationships With I Thank All Of You. I Can’t Forget About All The Fans From When I Was Out With Family To Playing Games At State Farm Arena. The Love With The Fans Was So Dope And Just The Ones That Appreciated What I Stand For As A Man And Always Told Me Thank You For Not Really Missing Games And Just Competing Every Time I Stepped On The Floor!!! Thank You ATL I FW Yall 4L….”
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Polls of the day
Poll 1 of 6
How do you feel about Dejounte Murray's emotional farewell to Atlanta?
Heartbroken
Relieved
Angry
Indifferent
Do you think Giannis Antetokounmpo can lead Greece to an Olympic medal?
Absolutely
No way
Maybe, if he gets more support
Only if he stays healthy
Whats your Perspective on:
Will Atlanta regret trading an ex-All-Star, or is this the right move for the Hawks' future?
Have an interesting take?
Do you think Shaunie Henderson's tribute to her husband Keion was heartfelt?
Absolutely
Not really
It was over the top
I don't care
Do you think FIBA refs were biased against Team Bahamas?
Absolutely
No way
Maybe, but not sure
Refs are always biased
Do you think Lauri Markkanen's $30 million move will make or break the Jazz?
Make
Break
Too early to tell
Doesn't matter
The emotional message also struck a chord in his former running mate Trae Young’s heart as he shared the post on his IG story saying, “Know what it is 5.” And to top it all off, Trae put the picture with Dejounte that they took together during their SLAM photoshoot as the top picture on his story. Although Murray didn’t specifically mention Trae in his farewell post, he was appreciative of all the teammates he had in Atlanta in the last two years. Now it’s safe to say that their rumored rift might not have been real after all.
The Trae Young Dilemma
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With Murray bidding farewell to the franchise he called home for the last two years, the Hawks now have to decide what they want to do with Trae. In exchange for Murray, the Hawks received some major assets to work with, including Dyson Daniels, E.J. Liddell, Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller, and multiple future draft picks. But now, they have to decide if they want to continue building their future around Trae Young or go in a completely different direction.
Playing with Trae as their primary option for the last six years, the farthest they have gone are the Conference Finals, that too only once. So, it might be time to cash in while they can by trading Young and starting fresh with a rebuild. However, it might be easier said than done. His speculated suitors, Lakers and Spurs, have reportedly not shown much interest in the three-time All-Star, as per ESPN’s Zach Lowe.
What’s your perspective on:
Will Atlanta regret trading an ex-All-Star, or is this the right move for the Hawks' future?
Have an interesting take?
Because of this setback, the Hawks might have to either find new suitors for Young or play at least one more season with him as their leader. What do you think they should do?
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Before you go, do not forget to check out Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, to open up about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud. Keep checking this space for more such updates.
Debate
Will Atlanta regret trading an ex-All-Star, or is this the right move for the Hawks' future?