3 reasons why the Bucks shouldn't trade for Dejounte Murray

2. Dejounte Murray isn’t a good fit on the Bucks

The Atlanta Hawks aren’t shopping Dejounte Murray for no reason. They didn’t trade three first-round picks and a swap to the San Antonio Spurs in the summer of 2022 so they could turn around and flip him 18 months later. The Hawks are trading Murray because he hasn’t meshed well with Trae Young, which should be a massive red flag for the Bucks. 

Damian Lillard and Trae Young are very similar players. They’re both ball-dominant guards who make a killing in the pick-and-roll and get compared to traffic cones on defense. Could Lillard play off of Murray successfully? Absolutely, but why would the Bucks take the ball out of his hands, and why would they skip over Giannis Antetokounmpo in favor of Murray?

We have a season and a half worth of evidence that for Dejounte Murray to produce like an All-Star, he needs to be your lead guard. The Bucks aren’t going to cede offensive responsibility from Lillard and Antetokounmpo so Murray can be an All-Star because they’re both All-NBA with the ball. 

Murray’s presence wouldn't turn the Bucks into an offensive mess, but there’s little chance he’d actually improve it. Combined with his defense being far less impactful than his reputation would suggest, and he’s just not a great fit. 

There's final huge reason to not make this move...