Why The Atlanta Hawks Do The Deal 

Many Hawks fans will see this as a step backward. After acquiring Dejounte Murray this summer, they expected to be buyers, not sellers. 

Progress isn’t always linear. It’s too early into Murray’s tenure to call it a failure, but at 14-14, it would be hard to call it a success based on the early returns. 

Perhaps a temporary step backward could encourage two steps forward. This deal has the Hawks recouping a lot of the draft capital they sent out to land Murray in the first place.

Moreover, these are premium picks. 

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After all, the Lakers are old and already struggling. Either one of these picks could end up in the lottery. Frankly, if neither did, that would come as a surprise. 

Is this package really worth that price to the Lakers?