In the Christmas game, the Lakers lost 115-126 at home to the old rival Celtics.
Tatum scored 25 points on 6-of-15 shooting, and Jaylen Brown was also sluggish with an injury halfway through. The Celtics were able to win in Los Angeles thanks to their "All-Star Triangle" Boshen (28 points and 11 boards), Zhu Ge (18 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists) and Derrick White (18 points and 11 assists).
White, in particular, completely "dominated" the Lakers' guard line in the opposite position, especially Austin Reaves.
So after this game, Dejounte Murray, the second choice of the Lakers' "midseason trade series", surfaced. (NBA "whistleblower king" Shams Charania publicly revealed).
The two are both Spurs productions, and it can even be said that Popovich's most successful work since the loss of Leonard. White was the 29th pick in 17 and Murray was the 29th pick in 16. As early as the first round of the 2019 playoffs, he fought seven games with the Nuggets and Mr. Yojo, who were still in the embryonic stage.
All of them are well-rounded and have a solid style of play, White is sharper and calmer, and Murray is more influential on both offensive and defensive ends.
White is now the league's No. 1 Celtics' "gold assist", and Murray entered the All-Star with a 20+8+9 "quasi-triple-double" data in the 21-22 season.
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1. The Lakers' trade needs
Because of Zhan Mei's "hard injury", one old and the other brittle, the Lakers began to look for the "No. 3 man" who could support the team and reduce Zhan Mei's burden in the regular season since the beginning of the 20-21 season.
The best state is: in the regular season, you can win enough games as the temporary core of the team, but when it comes to the critical stage, you can use it as an auxiliary to enter the core lineup around Zhan Mei.
During this period, there have been successful candidates (Schroeder, Reeves) and failures (Wei Shao, Russell).
It's either too old, it's too young, or it's not up to its name.
With Vincent's injury, Russell's "trade rumors" languishing, and Reaves being targeted for floating, the Lakers, who reached the Western Conference finals last season, had to start looking for another All-Star-caliber helper.
It's both to cherish LeBron's few remaining highlights, and not to let the depth of the roster Pelinka build in the offseason go down the drain.
The initial rumor was about Raven.
But the three major injuries of this "super dunk king", long contract (178 million with 4 years left), many injuries (with a history of major injuries), and horizontal dishes (only played four playoff games in the NBA in ten years), make it impossible for Lakers management to invest heavily in a bet for him.
After the defeat of Wei Shao, the Lakers are particularly cautious about this kind of blockbuster trade of stud chips for several years, and it is difficult for LaVine, who is far inferior to Wei Shao, to get the Lakers interested.
And so Dejounte Murray appeared
2. What kind of player is Dejounte Murray?
He averaged 14.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game in his career, 21.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 2.0 steals in his peak (21-22 season), and 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists this season (with ball eaters like Trae Young by his side).
In the second year of his career, he entered the defensive second team and was the league's top perimeter defender before he was the core of the Spurs.
After the Spurs began to rebuild and Bobo supported him as the core, he played at the level of Wei Shao.
Dejounte Murray, 27, is definitely an All-Star level guard in the league.
With an average of 20.4 points per game,
Throwing in 2.9 three-pointers on 37.4% shooting, 49th in the league (on the same level as LeBron),
He scored 2.6 points (21st in the league) on 6.8 pick-and-rolls (25th in the league), which is on the same level as VanVleet (7.2/2.5) at the core of the Rockets. And that's when he's only the team's No. 2 man and the offense is in Trae Young's hands.
He scored 7.9 points and 1.4 assists in 13.6 individual appearances (20th in the league), and Donovan Mitchell this season.
His mid-range shooting percentage of 48.7 percent (81/166) this season is the league's elite level, but his 52.4 percent (81/154) basket efficiency doesn't deserve his All-Star status.
What's more important is his impact on the defensive end.
Unlike Russell, he is a 100 percent player who can be a spot on the Lakers' lineup and can even be used as a top attacker against the offensive side with a better defensive striker.
Since the time of the Spurs, he has been responsible for the number one iron rope on the outside. His top five finishes this season are Lillard (Bucks), Brunson (Knicks), Maxey (76ers), Mitchell (Cavaliers), and Cunningham (Pistons). They are all the number one attackers in their respective teams.
The biggest problem for the Lakers on the defensive end this season is the leader of the guard line and the interior air defense after the thick eyebrows are off the court. If Murray had it, the first problem would have been solved very well.
Overall, Murray not only has a smaller contract (120 million for the next 4 years) than the previous "scandal object" LaVine, but also has a more balanced offensive and defensive ability, a more stable and durable body, and it is also a choice that is more in line with the actual needs of the Lakers who currently have James Mei.
His ability to lead the team has been tested by the Spurs, and he can level out most opponents in the regular season with one of the James.
And when it comes to the "high-end game" of the playoffs, he can also retreat to the front line as a stable opponent to support Zhan Mei, and is a player who can fully affect the game without the ball.
3. Trading prospects: It is destined to be a long tug-of-war
In the 2022 offseason, the Hawks paid Gallinari and three first-round swaps to get Murray, which formed an All-Star backcourt with Trae Young.
However, last season's 41-18 record in the East, eighth in the East, and 12-18 so far this season, and 11th in the East, are clearly not satisfactory.
Although anyone with a discerning eye can see that Trae Young's embarrassment is the core problem, with a good relationship with the team's helmsman and owner's son Nick Ressler, the Hawks can change coaches and general managers, but they will not replace Trae Young.
Next season, in addition to Trae Young's $34.5 million, the Hawks also have Bogdan's $18 million, Hunter's $22 million, Capela's $22 million, and Murray's $18 million contract.
Among the outstanding youngsters such as Okongu, Sadiq Bey (expires at the end of this season), as well as Jaren Johnson and Griffin Jr., will also start negotiations for early contract extensions.
If the Eagles don't want to start paying the luxury tax next year, then they will have to "break their wrists" and dispose of a few of the big contracts mentioned above.
And Dejounte Murray, who did not meet the goal at the time of introduction, is undoubtedly the best asset.
Among potential buyers, it would be difficult for the Eagles to give Murray to a rival in the same area. Perhaps the only thing that can be opened is the Bucks, 76ers, and Celtics, the three giants whose strength is not at the same level as them, and the Hawks can't beat Murray anyway.
Among them, the Bucks have no chips after acquiring Lillard, and although the Celtics have the need to strengthen their thickness, the player assets are concentrated in the unshakable starting five, and it is difficult to match the trade. The only ones who have the will to continue to strengthen and have chips are the Philadelphia 76ers, who have just returned their mouths through the Harden trade.
On the Western side, the Timberwolves, Mavericks, and Nuggets have a stable lineup and are not interested. The Grizzlies, Trail Blazers, Jazz, and Spurs in the bottom four have no desire to make a move at all, while the Clippers and Suns are shy to make a good draft pick offer.
The only ones who can really compete with the Lakers are the Kings, Thunder, Pelicans and Rockets.
Both the Pelicans and the Rockets have enough chips to trade with them, and the Rockets are in desperate need of a quality backcourt to solve their offensive problems with Jalen Green being overwhelmed.
The Pelicans are also sitting on the three excellent attackers of Fat Tiger, Yingge, and C.J, but lack a guard with a tandem lineup.
The Kings have been looking to upgrade their roster to make up for the offensive and defensive misalignment, while the Thunder have the league's richest draft resources.
If they decide that Dejounte Murray is the right man to upgrade the roster, there is little anyone who can stop their "first-round pick bomb package".
The Lakers' advantage is the team's current recovery of first-round pick reserves, as well as Murray's good personal relationship with LeBron
Murray has repeatedly said that LeBron is the "GOAT" in his heart, and the two have interacted a lot on the Internet.
LeBron, who has rarely been seen in such games in recent years, was in attendance at last year's Seattle Wild Ball Game that cost Holmgren the season, because it was his hometown.
What's more, Murray is also a client of Rich Paul's Clutch agency. It can even be "conspiracy theory" that the four-year 120 million contract that the Hawks renewed with Murray this year is slightly lower than his value, in fact, in order to run away to the Lakers in the future to better prepare for LeBron.
And at the moment, the Lakers not only have an expiring contract (Russell) but also enough immediate power for the Hawks to pay attention to (Hachimura, Christie, Princewood and even Vincent who is recovering from an injury).
Of course, with the importance that the Lakers attach to Reaves, they will not put him in the trade of a player of Murray's level unless it is absolutely necessary.
In terms of draft picks, the big trade of the thick eyebrows caused the Lakers' 24 and 25 first-round picks to be temporarily frozen (the Pelicans can pick one after the season), and the 27-year protection first-round pick was given to the Jazz in the Westbrook trade.
If the Pelicans can be persuaded to determine in advance which of the 24 and 25 first-rounders they want, the Lakers can pack up to three first-round (24, 26, 30) + 2 swaps (25, 29) "packages".
With just Shams leaking the news, the news about Murray is still in its infancy, and both the Lakers and other suitors will definitely have a long-term tug-of-war with the Hawks.
Especially after Reeves and Hachimura's trading qualifications were thawed on January 15, it was destined to be another good show.
Of course, this does not mean that the Lakers will be able to take Murray.
This is just the second unit that goes into the annual Lakers' repertoire, "Midseason Trade Soap Opera."
LaVine in the first unit has already excited a lot of people, and Murray in the second unit looks more appropriate and reasonable, so will there be a third and fourth unit?
Let's wait and see, after all, patience is paramount when it comes to trading in the NBA.
Many times, timing is more critical than chips.