Trae Young reviews his two seasons with Dejounte Murray: "It was good and bad"

When the Atlanta Hawks acquired Dejounte Murray in the summer of 2022, they hoped he would be the perfect star companion alongside Trae Young. The idea was for Murray to improve the team's defense and take on the role of a secondary ball handler, relieving pressure on Young when faced with tight defense. However, two years later, the Hawks decided to trade Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., E.J. Liddell, Cody Zeller, and two first-round picks. The duo did not perform as expected, leading the Hawks to dissolve the guard partnership.

Since the trade, Young had not shared many opinions on the transaction or his partnership with Murray until he recently appeared on the "Podcast P (Presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment)" hosted by 76ers forward, Paul George. During the conversation, Young addressed several topics, including why he felt he didn't mesh well with Murray:

"I mean, it was good and bad, you know what I mean? The only bad thing is that we didn't win as much as we wanted, to be honest with you. The good thing is we have a lifelong relationship. Our relationship goes beyond basketball. We are both family men. Our values are very similar in terms of the people we have around us... The way we get along off the court is forever. That's why our relationship is forever. But on the court, it's just tough. We wanted to win, but sometimes we're not the first duo that doesn't click and we won't be the last... it just didn't work on the court, and that sucks. It sucks for both of us, and we both acknowledge it, and that's just part of the game. If it doesn't work, teams have to figure out what to do next and make decisions."

Young also acknowledged the complexity of their on-court dynamics: "It was tough. We are both very giving in a way, so there were times when I passed him the ball and he wanted to be aggressive, but he's also a point guard, so he wasn't always thinking about scoring first. But when I was on the court, sometimes he was a shooting guard, but other times, you know what I mean? So the combination just didn't work, and on paper, you might think it would, because in San Antonio, he was a very good defender, known solely as a defender, not so much as a scorer, but a defender who could do it all. Rebound, score, get others involved. But when he came to us... it felt different, and it's a shame it didn't work out."

Changes for Trae Young and Dejounte Murray

Both Young and Murray are talented players, but sometimes the combinations simply don't pan out. Murray is expected to fit well in New Orleans, while the pieces the Hawks have acquired this summer, especially Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher, seem to mesh with Young and the new identity of the Hawks. This trade could represent a new chapter for Atlanta, aiming to build a more cohesive and successful team in the future.

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