The San Antonio Spurs made a minor move ahead of the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline. They turned a deal between the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers into a three-team swap, acquiring Marcus Morris Sr. and a second-round pick with Doug McDermott heading to Indiana.
Morris didn’t even land in San Antonio before they waived him. The Spurs’ involvement in the deal was strictly to pick up that future second-round pick. Morris will now have the chance to latch on with a contender for the stretch run of the season.
A quiet deadline was expected for the Spurs, who are still in the early stages of their rebuild around Victor Wembanyama. However, what they could have done ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline was lay the foundation for a future blockbuster.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs Updates
According to an NBA executive who spoke to Howard Beck of The Ringer, the Spurs engaged in trade talks with the Atlanta Hawks about All-Star point guard, Trae Young. San Antonio, along with the Los Angeles Lakers, were recently linked as suitors for Young this offseason.
“One exec said Atlanta discussed a potential Young trade with San Antonio before last week’s deadline. The Hawks were also well known to be shopping Dejounte Murray, their other star guard, before the deadline, but never found a deal they liked. It’s considered a near certainty that they will part with one, or both, this summer,” wrote Beck.
NBA rumors swirled that the Spurs could look to re-acquire Murray from the Hawks at a cheaper price than they traded him away for. It would make sense for Atlanta to try and do a deal with San Antonio, especially if they are heading into a rebuild so that they can try and get back as many of their own first-round picks as possible.
The Hawks will assuredly be a team to keep an eye on once the NBA offseason rolls around. Atlanta is currently in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, the final spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament, with a record of 24-30.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs Updates
A shake-up is certainly needed even if they find a way to sneak into the postseason. They have been unable to replicate the success from 2021, when they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, and were defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks in six games.
As currently constructed, the Hawks are a team that can barely qualify for the postseason, let alone contend for NBA Championships. Trading one or both of Young and Murray would bring back some assets to kickstart that rebuild and replenish the assets they have traded away in recent years.
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