Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young expressed disappointment that his partnership with Dejounte Murray didn’t succeed as hoped. Young and Murray, both among the top guards in the NBA, were teammates for two seasons before the Hawks traded Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans this offseason.
Speaking on Paul George’s podcast, “Podcast P With Paul George,” Young reflected on their time together, saying, “It was good and bad. The only downside is we didn’t win as much as we wanted to, to be honest. The positive is that we built a lifelong relationship. Our bond extends beyond basketball; we’re both family men with similar values and the way we get along off the court will last forever. But on the court, it just didn’t work out. We’re not the first duo to face this issue and we won’t be the last. It’s tough and we both admitted that. It’s part of the game—if it doesn’t work, teams have to make adjustments and move forward.”
Young elaborated on the challenges of playing alongside Murray, saying, “It was tough. We’re both very unselfish, which sometimes made it difficult. Early on, I’d pass him the ball, and while he wanted to be aggressive, he’s also a point guard who doesn’t always think ‘score first.’ So, there were times when he’d play like a shooting guard, but it wasn’t consistent. The combination just didn’t quite work out. On paper, it seemed like a good fit because, in San Antonio, he was known primarily as a defender and wasn’t seen as a major scorer but could do a bit of everything—rebound, score, and involve others. But when he joined us, it felt different, and it’s disappointing that it didn’t work out.”
During the time Young and Murray were together, the Hawks had a record of 55-62. They were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2023 playoffs and missed the postseason this year.
Murray played in 78 games for the Hawks last season, averaging 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.3 blocks.
Young, in 54 games, averaged 25.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 10.8 assists, recording 37 double-doubles.
The Hawks drafted Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
This offseason, Young has been a subject of trade rumors. It will be interesting to see whether Atlanta decides to trade or retain the All-Star.