New Contender Enters Dejounte Murray Sweepstakes

The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the favorites to land Dejounte Murray ever since the Atlanta Hawks made him available in trade negotiations. The idea of teaming Murray up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis was appealing to many in the Lakers brass but talks between the teams had stalled after Los Angeles failed to make Austin Reaves available as part of their package.

Now the Lakers' chances of acquiring the All-Star guard may be dwindling even further as a new contender has emerged as a potential suitor.

NBA Rumors: Bucks Emerge As Front Runners For Lakers Trade Target

According to Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report, the Milwaukee Bucks are now reportedly interested in trading for Murray.

This would not only radically improve the Milwaukee Bucks' championship odds, but it would also remove one of the only players who would be a significant upgrade to the Lakers roster from the trade market. Losing Murray to another rival in the championship race without being able to find a player of similar stature would be devastating for the Lakers.

However, if the Lakers are seriously interested in Murray, they should still be able to beat Milwaukee's offer. The Bucks don't have any blue-chip assets after trading away their draft picks to build a championship roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo. They can't trade any first-round picks and they don't have any high-level young prospects that the Hawks could be interested in.

Los Angeles can trade a first-round pick as well as include pick swaps, in addition to players like D'Angelo Russell or Rui Hachimura for salary-matching purposes. Include the Lakers' 2023 first-round selection Jalen Hood-Schifino in the package, and that could be enough to bring Murray to Los Angeles without having to part ways with Austin Reaves.

The Lakers currently have the ninth-best odds in the NBA to win the championship with +2900. Don't forget to take advantage of FanDuel Sportsbook's sign-up bonus of $150 in bets when you deposit $10 and bet $5 on any event, including the Lakers' championship.

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