Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving Pictured in Trae Young Workout Photos amid Trade Rumors
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving took part in a star-studded workout Saturday as their futures with the Brooklyn Nets continue to hang in the balance.
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young posted photos from the session, which also featured Miami Heat forward Victor Oladipo and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert, on Instagram.
Durant requested a trade from the Nets in late June, but there has been little progress toward a blockbuster deal ahead of the 2022-23 season.
That's reportedly not because of a lack of interest but rather Brooklyn's sky-high asking price after the Utah Jazz acquired a package that included four first-round draft picks and a pick swap for center Rudy Gobert.
While Gobert is one of the league's best defenders, he's also an old-school center in a modern NBA mostly dominated by wings, guards and versatile bigs. So, that trade set the bar for a KD deal at an extraordinarily high level.
With rival teams so far hesitant to meet the Nets' demands, the front office may be looking to keep the band together despite a drama-filled 2021-22 campaign.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Thursday (via HoopsHype) that Durant's "level of buy-in" remains in the biggest question mark.
"But right now, I think the Nets want to run this team back, and they're hoping that Kevin Durant agrees," Windhorst said. "The way that they are conducting trade talks, and the prices that they are asking, has teams out there thinking they don't really want to trade Kevin Durant anyway."
Irving's future is heavily reliant on Durant's. If KD is moved, it seems like there's a strong chance the seven-time All-Star point guard will also leave Brooklyn following a summer wherein he's been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers.
So, the Nets hold the keys to just how chaotic the remainder of the offseason will be.
Brooklyn will open the regular season Oct. 19 when it hosts the New Orleans Pelicans. How its starting lineup will look remains a mystery as KD and Kyrie continue to get in their offseason work.
Hawks 2022-23 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions
The Atlanta Hawks will hope a rebuilt rotation will be enough to climb the standings in the Eastern Conference.
After losing to the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs last season, Atlanta added a key piece this summer with the trade for Dejounte Murray. The organization also acquired veterans Justin Holiday and Maurice Harkless while drafting high-upside guard AJ Griffin.
These players join a rotation with two-time All-Star Trae Young and impact centers/forwards Clint Capela and John Collins, creating a dangerous lineup that can match up with nearly anyone in the league.
The Hawks also gave up several key players from last season, though, losing Kevin Huerter and Danilo Gallinari in trades and Delon Wright to free agency. These players ranked second, fifth and eighth in minutes played in 2021-22, respectively, and won't be easy to replace.
It creates some question marks, but expectations are high heading into 2022-23.
2022-23 Hawks Schedule Details
Season Opener: Oct. 19 vs. Houston Rockets
Championship Odds: 55-1 (FanDuel)
Full Schedule: NBA.com
Top Matchups
Miami Heat (First Game: Nov. 27)
The Boston Celtics won the Eastern Conference last season, but the Heat remain a team to beat after posting the best record in the league in 2021-22.
Miami also embarrassed the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs, cruising to an easy series win in five games.
Young was especially held in check, averaging just 15.4 points and 6.0 assists per game in the series on 31.9 percent shooting, including 18.4 percent from three-point range. He shot 5-of-23 from the field in the last two games, both losses.
On the other hand, the series was a breakout for De'Andre Hunter, who averaged 21.2 points per game with 35 scored in the Heat's clinching Game 5. The forward has the talent to take the next step, but he needs to show it more consistently.
This game could be an opportunity for Hunter to show his ability, Young to bounce back and the entire team to show it's a real contender in the East.
New York Knicks (First Game: Nov. 2)
While Young struggled against the Heat last year, he remains a star against the New York Knicks.
The point guard torched the Knicks during their 2021 playoff matchup, and he kept it up in the 2021-22 season, averaging 35.7 points in three games. In his last trip to Madison Square Garden, Young scored 45 points on just 25 shots.
It has made him one of the biggest enemies in New York City.
The Knicks were also targeting a trade for Murray before Atlanta swooped in for the former San Antonio Spurs guard.
You can be certain fans won't be too excited to watch Young and Murray play together against New York.
It could create an exciting atmosphere when the two Eastern Conference foes battle at MSG.
Season Forecast
The backcourt experiment will be an interesting one as head coach Nate McMillan designs his offense around two guards who averaged over nine assists per game last season.
Murray, who set a career high with 21.1 points per game and earned his first All-Star selection, might have to concede some touches to the ball-dominant Young after joining Atlanta.
The addition is still a big one for the Hawks, giving the team a much-needed secondary scorer and an elite perimeter defender. With Murray's ability to match up with an opponent's top weapon and Capela's shot-blocking inside, Atlanta should improve significantly on the defensive end.
After finishing 26th in defensive efficiency last year, this will go a long way.
The Hawks might still be a step below the elite teams in the East—including the Heat, Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks—but they have the talent to compete with anyone and should be playoff-bound.
Considering this team reached the Eastern Conference Finals just two years ago, another deep run is possible.
Record Prediction: 48-34
21+ and present in AZ, CO, CT, IA, IL, IN, LA, MI, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, or WV. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, IN, IL, NJ, PA, VA), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY(467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or visit www.1800gambler.net (WV).
Paolo Banchero, Dejounte Murray Exchange Words on IG After Viral Pro-Am Video
Dejounte Murray of the Atlanta Hawks hit Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero with a sick pump fake at the Zeke-End pro-am basketball tournament in Washington on Sunday, which even had Murray's teammate, Trae Young, shook.
Banchero then had some words for Murray on Instagram after the viral moment:
And while the initial exchange might have had a "big bro picking on little bro in the gym" vibe, Murray's own response indicated it perhaps runs a bit deeper:
It isn't easy having your soul stolen from your body on the court, but it happens to most players at some point if they reach the NBA, and Banchero got an early taste of that treatment.
Call it a learning experience for this year's top overall pick. A harsh lesson, to be fair, and one that Murray clearly felt Banchero needs to heed.
Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, John Collins Dazzle at Jamal Crawford's CrawsOver Pro-Am
It's not often a July pro-am game is appointment viewing for Atlanta Hawks fans, but Sunday was an exception.
That's because Trae Young, Dejounte Murray and John Collins all suited up for The Dream Team in a contest against the Sonics at the CrawsOver, which is a league that was created by former NBA player Jamal Crawford.
Crawford announced Saturday that the Hawks trio would take the court Sunday, and they ended up with a 126-121 victory.
They had big shoes to fill considering the top two picks in the 2022 NBA draft, Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren, turned heads during Saturday's action. Banchero posted 50 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while Holmgren tallied 34 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks.
All three Hawks put up notable numbers as well with Murray finishing with 39 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Young (37 points and 13 dimes) and Collins (27 points and 17 rebounds) each had a double-double.
Stats are one thing, but the fans were there for the big plays Sunday. After all, the defense being played at the CrawsOver is probably a step below NBA playoff level from an intensity standpoint, giving the Hawks playmakers the opportunity to generate a few highlights.
They didn't disappoint with a mix of alley-oops, outside shooting and even a four-point play from Young:
That the two-time All-Star was the one facilitating to Murray and Collins a number of times was surely a welcome sign for Atlanta fans. After all, Young will primarily be the one with the ball in his hands when the season begins, and his ability to consistently find his teammates will alter their ceiling as they look to compete in the Eastern Conference.
Atlanta's ceiling looked plenty high Sunday with the Big Three flying around at the CrawsOver.
Can Dejounte Murray Unlock Trae Young 2.0?
By trading for Dejounte Murray, the Atlanta Hawks are about to fire up a basketball experiment the likes of which we haven't seen before.
Big-time scorers have teamed up in their primes. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade famously came together in 2010. The Boston Celtics added Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to Paul Pierce three years earlier.
Atlanta is building on a different, unique foundation.
Trae Young and Murray both averaged north of 20 points per game in 2021-22, but it was their assist numbers (9.7 and 9.2, respectively) that make this new partnership so intriguing.
They were two of the league's very best playmakers in 2021-22 (Young finished first in points generated by assist, while Murray finished fifth), and they tallied those numbers in different ways.
Young had plenty of drive-and-kick dimes, but the most dangerous form of creation in his arsenal came out of the pick-and-roll, where he plays at his own pace and with nearly unparalleled vision.
His entire game, but particularly his playmaking for others, relies heavily on cunning, craftiness and the need to respect his absurd range. If you sort individual seasons by threes made from beyond 30 feet, each of Trae's four campaigns is in the top eight.
Murray, meanwhile, is the bigger, more athletic 1. His assists come from a variety of play types, but he's more likely than Young to generate buckets out of sheer relentlessness.
He can blow by most perimeter defenders. If the help doesn't commit, he'll finish inside (he shot 65.9 percent within three feet of the rim over the last two seasons). If it does, he typically finds the open shooter outside or the dump-off option in the dunker's spot. He was sixth in threes assisted in 2021-22 (Trae was fourth).
Though he and Young were in the top 10 for both time of possession and touches per game, there's reason to believe this can work because of those subtle variations in their styles. And while some of Young's individual totals may dip a bit, having such a prolific creator to occasionally move him off the ball will make him and the Hawks better in the long run.
The comparisons to Stephen Curry were natural for Young. As an undersized guard who put up gaudy numbers and hit 30-footers in college, it was easy to see traces of Curry's game. But he was always more of a high-volume-scoring Steve Nash. To this point, he's never shown a willingness or ability to play like Curry without the ball.
Now, he has an opportunity to change that.
Watch the clip above. You don't need all 13 minutes to get the gist, and you've seen plenty of that from Curry for over a decade. When a devastating outside shooter moves around without the ball the way Curry or Joe Harris or Duncan Robinson does, it bends defenses.
At least in part, the cuts, screens and relocations are about finding an opening for the off-ball mover himself, but the best ones know that tireless commitment will at least create an opportunity for a teammate.
At some point, the rotation will break down, somebody will scramble out of position and the botched assignment will leave someone open.
Young isn't the shooter or mover Curry is, but now he can try.
Bogdan Bogdanovic and Delon Wright were decent table-setters, but they're not on the level of Murray. He can be trusted to run possessions while Young manipulates the opposition. And when things break down, he'll generally hit the player with an advantage.
Of course, this won't eliminate Young's high pick-and-roll game altogether. Such a decision would be silly. Even with Murray's below-average three-point shooting potentially cramping things up a bit, Young can still dominate the middle-of-the-floor funnel that pick-and-rolls often create. And if he kicks out to Murray, he'll have driving opportunities against off-balance, closing defenders who were occupied by Young's probing.
Murray should also help Young and his new team in transition.
The San Antonio Spurs played at a pace of 101.6 possessions per game when he was on the floor. The highest-paced team in the league, the Minnesota Timberwolves, averaged 101.5 possessions per game.
With Murray's ability to grab defensive rebounds and start breaks himself (he's tied for second all time in defensive boards per game for a player his height or shorter), Young should be able to run the floor more often.
In the past, when a big like John Collins or Clint Capela ended a possession, Young would often have to run back to the action to provide a target for an outlet pass. If he sees Murray snag the ball, he can just take off. That should lead to more layups and open threes.
Of course, all of this could be burying the lede a bit. Where Murray might help the most is on defense. At 6'4" with a 6'10" wingspan, it's easy to make him the nominal 2 and have him always take the more difficult matchup, but that alone doesn't really change Trae's world. Atlanta had already been trying to hide him on defense.
You have to go a layer deeper to find what might be the greater impact.
Murray is tied for seventh among active players in career steal percentage, and opponents have generally had a higher turnover percentage when he's on the floor. The havoc he can create both on the ball and in passing lanes should lead to transition opportunities too.
And that, Murray's creation and the attention he'll generally command from opponents should all contribute to one overarching purpose: making Young's life easier.
After four seasons in the NBA, it's hard to imagine his numbers getting much better (Oscar Robertson is the only other player in history with at least 7,000 points and 2,500 assists through his first four years). In fact, by raw totals and averages, they might even go down a bit.
That sacrifice is worth the opportunity to play a smarter game, both for him and the Hawks. This version of Trae can lead Atlanta to new heights.
Trae Young, NBA Twitter Buzzing After Dejounte Murray Reportedly Traded to Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks made a major splash Wednesday when they reportedly acquired combo guard Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Hawks gave up veteran forward Danilo Gallinari, three first-round picks and a future pick swap to land the 25-year-old.
Murray is coming off the best year of his career and finished second in NBA Most Improved Player voting. He was named to his first All-Star Game as an injury replacement and averaged career highs of 21.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 9.2 assists and an NBA-best 2.0 steals.
Fans and analysts lauded the acquisition for the Hawks, many believing that Murray's presence will work wonders for Atlanta star point guard Trae Young.
Murray will certainly improve the Hawks on both sides of the ball. Atlanta had the sixth-best offense in the NBA last season (113.9 PPG) but ranked 21st in defense (112.4 PPG). Murray will try to change that as he takes on the role of lead perimeter defender.
It was just two years ago that the Hawks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. Young has proved capable of carrying the team for stretches, but Murray's presence is sure to take some pressure off and make life a lot easier for him.
The road to the postseason in the East will not be easy by any means with the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers at the top of the conference. But the addition of Murray alongside Young gives Atlanta a strong chance of competing against the elite teams.