More details have emerged about the New Orleans Pelicans’ pursuit of Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, as ESPN’s senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the two teams continue to have dialogue about a potential deal.
This comes on the heels of a report from Yahoo Sports insider Jake Fischer that corroborates information received from TNT Sports insider Chris Haynes. On the eve of Trade Deadline Day, Haynes pointed to the Pelicans as a darkhorse trade suitor for Murray. Mere hours later, Fischer noted that Atlanta and New Orleans have held conversations regarding a Murray trade.
Fischer also revealed that the Pelicans had interested in acquiring Clint Capela or Onyeka Okongwu in the same deal. However, Wojnarowski singles out Okongwu as New Orleans’ preferred target.
Dejounte Murray and Onyeka Okongwu to the Pelicans?
To reiterate, a deal for Dejounte Murray does make sense for the New Orleans Pelicans, who could liken his length, athleticism and knack for notching steals to Lonzo Ball. Having searched for a starting point guard to replace the departed Ball the past couple of seasons, Murray may be their man.
Nonetheless, Onyeka Okongwu makes sense as a trade target as well, given Jonas Valanciunas’ lack of foot speed. New Orleans would benefit greatly from Okongwu’s athleticism and switchability. The Pelicans also need to improve their rim protection, making not only Okongwu a viable option at center but Clint Capela as well.
Given the salaries of the aforementioned players, a deal between the two sides could look like this:
Hawks receive— Herb Jones, Jose Alvarado, Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller, 2024 first-round pick, 2026 first-round pick
Pelicans receive— Dejounte Murray, Onyeka Okongwu
What about Clint Capela?
Should the New Orleans Pelicans prefer Clint Capela instead, the framework of a deal could look like this:
Hawks receive— Herb Jones, Jose Alvarado, Jonas Valanciunas, Cody Zeller, 2024 first-round pick
Pelicans receive— Dejounte Murray, Clint Capela
Which package is better?
In either case, should the Atlanta Hawks land Herb Jones and Jose Alvarado, they’ll bolster their paltry perimeter defense. Though their current on-ball defenders routinely get stuck on screens, both Jones and Alvarado play an aggressive defensive style that frustrates would-be ball-handlers.
Ultimately, the question may come down to the value that Jonas Valanciunas has for the Hawks versus what Larry Nance Jr. would bring to Atlanta. In short, do they value the size, toughness and interior scoring of Valanciunas more than the lithe movement and jack of all trades skillset possessed by Nance?
Considering the team needs, one could easily see why Nance would be the answer. Capable of guarding out in space in a way few big men can, his arrival would make it easier to swallow Okongwu’s absence.
However, as a team whose lack of size and aggressiveness routinely shows up on the glass, Valanciunas makes plenty of sense. An elite defensive rebounder at 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds, Valanciunas helps the Hawks close possessions better than even Capela.
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