5 Players Lakers Should Target on the Trade Market This Offseason

Dejounte Murray

If the Lakers' offer for Trae Young is beaten, they can go back to the drawing board. We already know that they were interested in the other Atlanta Hawks All-Star as they tried to trade for him at the trade deadline.

Dejounte Murray is not the same caliber of player Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young are, but he would still be the third-best player on this Lakers team and provide more two-way impact than both of those players.

Plus, not only would he be more easily acquirable, but he would also be under team control for longer. At age 27, Murray has three more seasons on his deal with an average of $27.5 million per year. This is less than what the Lakers would have to pay Mitchell or Young. Murray at that value is a team-friendly contract and he could easily be tradeable again if the Lakers were to go a different path.

Murray was a one-time All-Star when he was with the San Antonio Spurs. Ever since he was traded to the Hawks, he hasn't been able to play at that level. His fit with Trae Young has always been questionable and Atlanta severely disappointed since making the trade to acquire him. He still put up 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.4 assists in the 2023-24 season regardless.

The Lakers could potentially trade for him using two of their three first-rounders, saving the other one for an upgrade in a different position.