The Atlanta Hawks have locked their All-Star guard Dejounte Murray to a new deal. Murray reportedly received a four-year extension that will pay him $120 million over the duration of the contract.
Murray completed his first season with the Hawks, joining the franchise in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs last summer. He averaged 20.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists across 74 games.
When the Hawks traded for Murray, the franchise expected him to be the missing piece that would make them a proper contender in the Eastern Conference. However, Murray didn’t turn out to be the best possible fit alongside ball-dominant fellow All-Star Trey Young while the rest of the team underperformed.
After the Hawks were bounced in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, many believed that the Hawks would try to move Murray. The 26-year-old was entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the sentiment was that they might hit a resent on the core surrounding Young.
But obviously, the Hawks have different plans and believe that new coach Quin Snyder can make the duo of Murray and Young work.
Dejounte Murray started his NBA career as the 29th overall pick by the Spurs in the 2016 NBA Draft. After struggling to get playing time in his rookie year, Murray started rapidly developing as a player. He made the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in his sophomore year and followed that up with an All-Star appearance in 2022.
