[Fischer] At this juncture, to varying degrees, the Lakers, Knicks, Sixers, Heat, Bulls, Nets, Spurs and Pistons are five suitors expected to engage Atlanta about acquiring Murray over the coming days and weeks before Feb 8.

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/dejounte-murray-emerging-as-perhaps-the-most-likely-all-star-caliber-talent-to-be-moved-174205743.html

> At this juncture, to varying degrees, the Lakers, Knicks, Sixers, Heat and Pistons are five suitors expected to engage Atlanta about acquiring Murray over the coming days and weeks before Feb 8:

> Los Angeles has continued to tell teams it doesn’t want to part with Austin Reaves, sources said. There does seem to be a pathway for a Murray-to-Los Angeles deal if the Lakers would be willing to include Reaves, sources said, although that would require the Hawks to send back more value for Los Angeles’ liking. Around the league, D’Angelo Russell’s $17 million salary has not been viewed as a valuable trade chip for the Lakers to bolster their roster behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

> New York is looking at various avenues to upgrade its point guard depth behind Jalen Brunson, sources said, while the Knicks also continue to evaluate center options because of Mitchell Robinson’s ankle surgery. Although with Murray in favor of a fresh start, according to sources with knowledge of the situation, it seems questionable that adding the former All-Star to pair with another ball-dominant lead guard like Brunson would have much different results than Murray’s partnership with Young. Of note: When Atlanta and New York discussed the 2022 trade that brought Cam Reddish to the Knicks, the Hawks valued Quentin Grimes during those talks, sources said.

> Philadelphia is not in any rush to add a piece or burn any of the Sixers’ newfound draft capital by way of the Harden trade, sources said. Philly has been conducting due diligence on various point guards available for the trade market — although Tyus Jones doesn’t seem to be a target to keep in mind for the Sixers, sources said. If the Hawks don’t operate with urgency to find a deal, perhaps a trade could come to fruition for Murray closer to the deadline. That being said, there’s little expectation among league figures that the Sixers will pursue Siakam or LaVine during this trade window.

> Miami has left rival teams with the impression that the reigning Eastern Conference champions are looking for ball-handling reinforcements. The Heat are another suitor to keep an eye on for Murray, although there hasn’t been anything substantive beyond initial talks between Atlanta and Miami at this point, sources said.

> Detroit can and should have all kinds of options on its board while mired in the league’s cellar at just 3-34. While head coach Monty Williams has routinely shifted his lineups with the mind of figuring out what personnel maximizes franchise engine Cade Cunningham, landing Murray would mark an intriguing upside swing for a rebuilding organization that shared aspirations of competing for the play-in this season. The Pistons being another team monitoring Siakam indicates Detroit is evaluating bigger improvements to the league’s lowest team, even if smaller tweaks are more likely for the Pistons.

> Brooklyn has been another potential Murray destination mentioned by multiple league personnel, as the Nets are seen as an ideal spot from Murray’s side of this dynamic, sources said. But Brooklyn and Atlanta haven’t shared significant dialogue to this point, sources said, and the Nets don’t appear to be actively pursuing Murray at this juncture.

> The Bulls have also inquired about Murray, league sources told Yahoo Sports, as part of Chicago’s exploratory efforts to return All-Star talent for LaVine. Yet those talks never gained much traction with the Hawks, sources said. And while the Spurs continue to be mentioned by league personnel as a potential landing spot for Murray, San Antonio does not currently bill as a probable outcome for Atlanta’s trade approach either, sources said.

by UnbiasedNBAFan_