The Atlanta Hawks are finalizing a 4-year/$120 million veteran maximum extension for Dejounte Murray per Shams Charania of The Athletic. The deal includes a player option.
This takes Murray off of the free agent market next summer, validating the hefty price the Hawks paid to acquire him from the Spurs last off-season (three first-round picks, a pick-swap + Danilo Galinari). Wrapping up Murray’s extension this summer is very good news for Atlanta, as the prospect of Murray entering unrestricted free agency would have been a major storyline hanging over the team all year long had it gone unresolved.
Murray, an All-Star in 2021-22, averaged 20.5 points, 6.1 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals while posting a 54% True Shooting number last season. While he and Trae Young didn’t always look like the smoothest offensive fit, the team still managed to score 116.9 points per 100 possessions when the two shared the floor, which ranked in the 71st percentile relative to other lineups with at least 100 possessions played per cleaningtheglass. We should expect to see that number rise as the two grow more familiar with eachother’s playstyles. Young and Murray were the first duo since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in 1991-92 to average 20+ points and 6+ assists over a full season and with Young under contract through (at least) the 2025-26 season and Murray now signed through the 2026-27 season, the Hawks have a solid foundation to build upon as they continue their quest for their franchise’s first NBA championship since 1958.
Some Hawks fans (myself included!) got a little nervous after seeing Murray’s fellow-Klutch Sports client, Fred Van Vleet, ink a 3-year/$128 million deal with the Houston Rockets earlier this week as it seemed entirely possible that Murray would turn down an extension offer from Atlanta this summer (capped at 140% of Murray’s 23-24 salary) in the hopes of securing a deal with an average salary more in line with what Van Vleet is making next summer.
For the Hawks, with a bloated cap-sheet, a principal owner that has yet to spend into the luxury tax since taking over prior to the 2015-16 season, and Saddiq Bey and OnyekaOkongwu both up for extensions next off-season, forking over Van Vleet money to Murray next summer would not have been feasible without forcing the team to cut costs in other areas or face the wrath of a significant luxury tax bill. Now, assuming Murray’s cap hit is $30 million for the 2024-25 season, they have a little over $22 million to work with if they want to extend both Okongwu and Bey and remain beneath next season’s projected luxury tax line. Alternatively, if they finally decide that they do want to go into the luxury tax next summer, then they will have roughly $29.5 million dollars of space until they hit the first apron, and $40.5 million dollars until they hit the dreaded second apron. Of course, they would be able to open up even more space if they shed Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Andre Hunter or Clint Capela’s salaries during the season.
As long as Tony Ressler is signing the checks for this team, we know that every dollar matters, so for the Hawks to get Murray for approximately $13 million less annually than what Houston is paying Van Vleet should be seen as a massive victory and will provide Landry Fields and Co. with some additional flexibility as they look to reshape this roster into a championship contender.
