The Lakers have bolstered their detailed proposal for Falcons monitor Dejounte Murray.
With the Lakers rendering Austin Reaves basically unapproachable in exchanges and the Atlanta Falcons showing apparent disinterest in D’Angelo Russell, the two groups seemed to reach a stalemate in their talks on a trade centered around former Elite player watch Dejounte Murray.
The Lakers can offer one first-round pick overall this season in a trade (their 2029 first), so unless the Falcons (or another group) truly value Jalen Hood-Schifino or Max Christie as first-round-level talents, then it remained unclear how Los Angeles could genuinely enhance their proposal to advance talks across the end goal as a straight-up exchange or multi-group bargain.
However, according to the latest report from Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Lakers may have gotten creative in their latest proposal for Murray:
The Lakers seem to have made the most aggressive bid to date for Murray. Los Angeles has been willing to include a 2029 first-round pick in addition to a pick trade in its efforts to land the Falcons’ guard, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Atlanta is seeking a preferable player return over Russell, sources said, and the Hawks seem to prefer not reclaiming future compensation, leaving the possibilities for another three-group bargain at the deadline that includes Russell — after he joined the Lakers via last February’s Utah-Minnesota-Los Angeles triple plunge. Russell holds a $18.6 million player choice for next season that will factor into any team’s decision to acquire the Ohio State product.
This is a road that most likely has not been given sufficient thought previously, but the Lakers could propose to trade their 2026 or 2028 first-round picks (both of which they own overall) while not disregarding the league’s Stepien Rule preventing a team from not owning first-round picks in consecutive years.
Fischer doesn’t specify which picks the Lakers are offering, or if there are any assurances on said trade, but it is certainly one way that the Lakers can theoretically enhance their package for Murray.
When Fischer says that the Hawks want “two first-round picks and a starting-caliber player” for Murray, will a trade be enough to get it done? Indeed, considering that this leaked and the deal hasn’t been finalized yet, logic would suggest “obviously not” (so far).
But, as the trade deadline draws nearer and closer, it seems more and more plausible that the two sides could move in their positions and get this deal that both apparently believe they should do at some level done.
