Dejounte Murray and Ausar ThompsonChris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty ImagesAtlanta Hawks Receive: Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, No. 5 pick
Detroit Pistons Receive: Dejounte Murray, No. 1 pick
Why The Hawks Do It
This profiles as a soft reset for Atlanta. It would bust up the Murray-Trae Young backcourt—which feels like a fait accompli at this point—and move the Hawks down four spots to end up with the past three No. 5 picks.
That might suggest the Hawks are tracking toward a full-scale rebuild. But this is more like a reorientation.
Thompson would arrive in Atlanta as a defensive monster, equal parts disruptive and deliberate. His shooting is nonexistent—and his rookie season ended early due to a blood clot—but the Hawks could cobble together enough scoring so long as Trae Young is still running the show.
Ivey isn't someone whom the Hawks could count on deploying beside other ball-dominant guards. He doesn't have the requisite shooting stroke to jell in that context as of now. But perhaps he looks better outside the cramped confines of Detroit's offense (and head coach Monty Williams' doghouse). Failing that, Atlanta could look to capitalize on whatever remaining value he has in a subsequent trade.
Drafting someone at No. 5 who promises to make an instant impact is a tall order, and neither Thompson nor Ivey is especially deep into their career. This move would mandate degrees of patience from Atlanta. But it should have a few interesting wings from which to choose at No. 5, and more importantly, it shouldn't be afraid of taking its time.
Resets, however soft, do not always materialize overnight. This package would give the Hawks a shot at reshuffling the makeup and long-term outlook of the supporting cast around Young. And if they're intent on moving him as well and completely starting over, this return would bring back enough developmental upside to offset the draft-pick equity they'll send to San Antonio from 2025 through 2027.
Why The Pistons Do It
Detroit will be angling for substantive improvement next season, no matter who's running the front office. Five consecutive years of winning 23 or fewer games has a way of grating on an organization. Between spending hefty amounts of money on Monty Williams, demoting front office czar Troy Weaver and entering Year 4 of the Cade Cunningham era, the Pistons are starting to feel the weight of their extended (if somewhat aimless) stint in the doldrums.
Armed with potentially more than $60 million in cap space, Detroit's inevitable remaking may mostly play out in free agency or via trades that latch onto proven performers, perhaps at the expense of its young core. This trade follows that line of thought—without too urgently accelerating the timeline.
Sending out Thompson would be a risk. Even without a jump shot, he injects All-NBA defense and some tertiary driving and ball movement. But Murray is a demonstrative spacing and floor-general upgrade over anything the Pistons already have in place, and he's about to kick off one of the league's most team-friendly extensions (four years, $114.1 million).
Grabbing the No. 1 pick, meanwhile, would allow Detroit to contemplate a possible Alex Sarr-Jalen Duren duo or target another wing whom it doesn't believe will be available at No. 5. This deal would lose luster from the Pistons' end if they don't think Sarr stretches the floor enough to preserve spacing beside another big, but Duren isn't nearly good enough to dictate how they build around Cunningham. If they believe in Sarr's prospective range—or are super high on Zaccharie Risacher—this is at least a conversation.
Jettisoning Ivey on top of Thompson would be tough to stomach. But the Pistons have to be realistic about his trade value. It likely isn't exorbitantly high, and it may only get worse unless they better tailor the roster to his on-ball strengths.
Burning a chunk of cap space on this package shouldn't bother Detroit, either. Murray is likely far better than anyone whom the Pistons can realistically sign, and this deal has them taking on under $15 million additional salary, leaving them plenty of maneuverability for both free agency and other trades.
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