Lakers rumors: Reporter reveals why Dejounte Murray trade fell through

The Los Angeles Lakers have spent the better part of the past 12 months exploring options that ultimately fell through. It's an unfortunate reality for the team that plays home to 39-year-old LeBron James, but it's been the case more often than not since the start of the 2023-24 season.

One of the most intriguing names to surface on the Lakers' radar during that time was former Atlanta Hawks and current New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray.

Murray, 27, has earned All-Star and All-Defense honors during his eight-year NBA career. This past season, he averaged a career-best 22.5 points per game and emerged as a potential trade target for a number of franchises near the deadline—the Lakers included.

On a recent episode of Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective, Windhorst revealed that the Lakers were gaining traction toward a trade for the All-Star guard, but it ultimately fell through.

"The Hawks went down this road last year with the Lakers. There was a time where there was a lot of momentum, at least on the Lakers' side, where they thought they had a great chance to get Dejounte Murray. At the end of the day, D'Angelo Russell being in that deal, and I don't know if it was they were going to have a third team or whatever, but the Hawks weren't down with that."

It's a disappointing revelation that may not necessarily reveal anything about future success in trade discussions with other teams, but it certainly paints a clear picture of how stuck Los Angeles was.

Hawks didn't want D'Angelo Russell, declined Lakers offer for Dejounte Murray

It's difficult to overstate how valuable Murray could've been to the Lakers in 2023-24 and beyond. He's a two-way guard in the prime of his career with a well-rounded offensive game, elite ball-hawking skills, and a history of strong showings in the playoffs.

This past season, Murray averaged 22.5 points, 6.4 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 2.6 three-point field goals made on .459/.363/.794 shooting while appearing in 78 games.

It's also worth noting that Murray averaged 25.1 points, 9.1 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 3.3 three-point field goals made across the 28 games that Trae Young didn't play. In other words: In a true lead guard role, Murray played at an All-NBA level.

Unfortunately, the Lakers failed to provide an attractive enough trade package for the Hawks to truly consider doing business with them.

It's possible that Russell will be a more valuable trade asset in 2024-25, as he's entering the final season of his current contract. What's been revealed, however, is that his regular-season brilliance was no longer viewed as attractive enough to provide ideal compensation in a marquee trade.

It speaks to the dilemma facing the Lakers, as they rely on Russell to thrive during the regular season but are painfully aware of how poorly he tends to perform in the playoffs.

If the Lakers intend to make a splash on the trade market during the 2024-25 season, they'll need to get more creative with the package they offer. Russell's expiring deal should be more valuable than it was when his player option scared teams off, but drastic improvement will cost Los Angeles.

Living in the past does more harm than good, but one can't help but wonder what could've been had the Lakers been more aggressive in adding Murray to the 2023-24 roster.