---

LeBron’s voice looms large when assessing a potential Dejounte Murray-Lakers
deal

(標題太聳動 我改掉了)

https://reurl.cc/E4b9Rv

As of this Tuesday dispatch, this NBA trade deadline season has been, well,
dead.

The OG Anunoby-to-the-Knicks deal was last year, for crying out loud (Dec.
30). The Pascal Siakam-to-the-Pacers trade was almost a month ago at this
point. And since then, we’ve gotten … Steven Adams to the Rockets. And an
injured Steven Adams, no less.

But with two days left before the Thursday deadline (3 p.m. Eastern), and
with the chance remaining that the fireworks might go off here at the end,
there’s at least one high-profile scenario still on the board worth
examining from all sides: Dejounte Murray to the Lakers. And with all due
respect to the involved parties, from the Hawks front office that has so much
to ponder here to the Lakers side that was so widely celebrated when it had a
fantastic trade deadline performance around this time a year ago, the
widespread intrigue here revolves around one man: LeBron James.

While the 39-year-old has not publicly campaigned for the Murray deal in the
way he did for Anthony Davis in 2018, he has been sending all sorts of
signals lately that he would like the Lakers to do something of significance.
Add in that James can become a free agent in fewer than five months from now,
and it’s not hard to understand why there’s so much spotlight on this
situation at the moment. With that in mind, let’s unpack how they all got
here and whether this is a deal that should get done.

一直到今天，NBA交易截止日的相關報導都非常冷清。

OG Anunoby到尼克的交易案已經是去年了(12/30)。Siakam交易至溜馬的交易也已經是快一
個月前的事情。那之後我們只得到了Steven Adams去火箭的交易。而且是受傷的Adams。

但在距離星期四截止日期還有兩天的情況下(東岸時間下午3點)，仍然存在煙火可能在




Hawks-Lakers talks
As our Lakers beat writer, Jovan Buha, detailed here, the Lakers’ trade
talks with Atlanta have continued in recent weeks. The holdup, as has been
widely reported for quite some time, is the Hawks’ clear disinterest in
taking back D’Angelo Russell and the need for a different landing spot for
the Lakers guard as a result (Brooklyn is routinely highlighted by league
sources as a Russell candidate here). The Hawks are known to covet Austin
Reaves, whom the Lakers have no interest in giving up. The Lakers, per Buha,
have offered Russell, rookie guard (and 17th pick) Jalen Hood-Schifino, the
2029 first-round pick (preferably protected) and additional draft
compensation.

As for the contracts, here’s how they break down.

Russell: Owed $17.3 million this season, with a player option worth $18.6
million in 2024-25.
Murray: Signed through the 2026-27 campaign, with a player option worth $31.6
million in 2027-28. If he picked up that option, the lump sum owed from this
season to the end of 2027-28 is $132.5 million. Murray, like James and fellow
Lakers star Anthony Davis, is represented by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.

湖人-老鷹的談話


Reaves，而湖人並不想要放棄他。根據Buha所言，湖人提供了Russel、菜鳥後衛(17順位)
Jalen Hood-Schifino以及2029首輪選秀權(希望能被保護的)以及額外的選秀補償。

而合約分析如下

Russell:今年17.3M 本季結束有24-25球季18.6M的球員選項


The Lakers’ and LeBron’s (annual) pressure play
When it comes to James — aka the Benjamin Button of basketball — his
ability to continue playing at an elite level at this advanced age means
there will always be pressure on the Lakers’ ownership and front office to
maximize the roster around him. So with this season’s Lakers mired in
mediocrity again, currently standing at ninth place in the Western Conference
at 27-25 after winning their last three, it should come as no surprise that
the annual LBJ leverage games are back.

James has long since become the master of his own message, using all of the
various platforms at his disposal to communicate in the kind of way that
would be worthy of inclusion in “The Da Vinci Code.” The rare exception
came in January 2023, when his declaration that “Y’all know what the f—
should be happening” in our interview about that trade deadline season was a
moment of LeBron candor the likes of which we rarely see. Sure enough, he
walked it back on social media the next day.

So when James hit send last week on the hourglass tweet seen ’round the
Association, then later declined a request to explain its meaning while
speaking to reporters in New York, it sparked the latest round of speculation
about what he was truly saying.

湖人與LeBron(年度)的壓力角力





所以當James上禮拜發送了全聯盟最關注的"沙漏"推文，然後在稍後拒絕了在紐約向記者解
釋其含義的請求時，這引發了關於他真正意味著什麼的最新猜測。

But was it James’ way of highlighting the reality that he’s running out of
time and pushing for more help in the form of a player like Murray? Or, as
one Lakers official speculated, was it somehow related to his well-chronicled
desire to share the court with his son Bronny if he enters the draft next
season? Only LeBron knows for sure.

But lest anyone forget, we’re only a month removed from The Athletic’s
report of a disconnect between the Lakers locker room and second-year coach
Darvin Ham. The organization’s power brokers chose to push back against
those internal forces and stand by Ham — for now, at least — but that
perceived pressure to make some sort of significant change typically needs to
be relieved somehow.

但是LeBron是在說他沒有時間並要要求更多像Murray這種球員的幫助呢?還是，如同一位湖
人工作人員所猜測的，跟他渴望在下一個賽季與兒子Bronny一同登場的渴望有關?這只有
James本人會知道了。



Whatever James’ intentions, this much is fair to say: His visit to the Big
Apple over the weekend was an all-timer when it comes to his ability to get
powerful Lakers people talking — and guessing. In the same New York
interview with reporters in which James chose not to explain the hourglass,
he was asked whether he had decided to pick up his player option for next
season that’s worth $51.4 million and has an exercise deadline of June 29.

“No,” he replied abruptly.

Then came the Knicks-themed messages that went viral on social media, with
James wearing sneakers with New York’s team colors, shouting “Mr. James in
the Garden!” as he entered their hallowed arena, and even donning a Knicks
towel during a nationally televised postgame interview in which he raved
about the Knicks’ first-time All-Star, Jalen Brunson. Subtle, it was not.
And it didn’t stop there either.



"沒有"他斷然回答。



On Friday, there was the relevant and curiously timed revelation — as
reported by The New York Post — that the Knicks are apparently back in
business when it comes to Klutch Sports clients. The extended friction
between Paul and Knicks president Leon Rose had been fixed, with league
sources telling The Athletic that Rose made a point to smooth things over
earlier this season.

Rose, to review, was Paul’s mentor at Creative Artists Agency and James’
former agent before they both departed to build Klutch Sports. This
development matters, of course, because it had become a major obstacle for
the Knicks whenever they considered the prospect of adding Klutch Sports
clients.

A major part of the issue, as is widely known in league circles, was the way
the Knicks handled Cam Reddish, a Klutch client, during his short and
unsuccessful time there from 2022 to 2023. Reddish has since become a pivotal
part of the Lakers rotation (he has been out since late January with an ankle
injury). But back to James and the fascinating way he has been moving of late.



需要回顧的是，Rose在Paul單飛成立Clutch前曾經是Paul在CAA的導師也曾經是LeBron
James的經紀人。這對於一切的發展來說都很重要，因為這原本成為了尼克想要簽下任何由
Klutch Sports所代表的球員時最大的阻礙。


的重要一員（雖然自一月底以來因腳踝受傷缺席）。但回到James，以及他最近的行動，這

令人著迷。

His statement to reporters regarding his contract is the only part that truly
matters when it comes to the power dynamics in play here. Team sources say
the Lakers would strongly prefer that James retire in their jersey someday,
meaning he holds all the cards until his contract situation gets figured out.
The Lakers’ top decision makers have no illusions about that much.

But for all the media and fan focus on James’ latest messaging, the truth
about his relationship with the Lakers at this point is that nothing
qualifies as a crisis until there’s an actual meeting called. In February
2022, amid reports of rising tension between the two sides and James’ choice
to discuss a possible return to Cleveland at All-Star Weekend, the dynamics
were sensitive enough that they all sat down in person to discuss solutions.
This situation, it’s clear, hasn’t reached that point.

As Paul made clear in an interview with ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, James “won’
t be traded, and we aren’t asking to be (traded).” A high-ranking Lakers
source, meanwhile, scoffed at the idea that the Lakers would even consider
trading James. But so long as the goal remains for this partnership to
continue, it certainly behooves the Lakers to take James’ voice into
account. If, that is, he chooses to use it in a direct manner with team
officials rather than this sort of passive-aggressive style.







When James was asked about the trade deadline after a win Monday night in
Charlotte, he had this to say.

當星期一晚上在夏洛特贏球之後，LBJ被問到有關交易大限時的想法時回答:

LeBron James was asked twice about the trade deadline tonight.

Here are his two answers:

You guys went 4-2 on this trip. Do you feel like as a team you've proven or
shown why you guys should continue to invest in this group?

James: "This is who we have, so there's nothing else to talk about."

With the trade deadline approaching, do you like the makeup of this roster?
Is this roster good enough to win a championship? Do changes need to be made?

James: "It's not a question for me. I love who we have in the locker room.
And that's all I worry about. ...

"I don't get caught up in that. We're gonna go out and prepare ourselves
every single night no matter what it is. No matter who's out on this team. No
matter what. So it's my job and it's AD's job as the two captains to make
sure we keep the main thing the main thing. The main focus is now: Thursday's
game at home. And look forward to that matchup."

(Buha的貼文
https://twitter.com/jovanbuha/status/1754711086375272467)

記者:你們這次客場之旅4-2。你覺得你們這支球隊有證明或展現了為甚麼該繼續投資在這
支球隊上了嗎?

James:我們就是有這些人，所以沒有甚麼好說的

隨著交易大限到達，你是否喜歡這個陣容?這支球隊有好到足以贏得一座冠軍?有需要作出
甚麼改變嗎?



In terms of how the Lakers evaluate their own possible pieces of this trade,
this part is certainly worth noting: Russell has picked a hell of a time to
play some of his best basketball. Just take a look at the before and after
here:

Russell from Dec. 1 to Jan. 9 (14 games): 10.4 points (41 percent shooting
overall and 32.9 percent from 3 on five attempts per) and 5.4 assists per
game. On Dec. 23, Ham moved Russell to a reserve role that lasted just seven
games before he returned to the starting lineup.

Russell’s 14 games since then: He is the Lakers’ second-leading scorer
behind James and ahead of Davis, averaging 23.6 points per (46.8 percent
shooting overall and 46.3 percent from 3 on 8.8 attempts per) and 6.5 assists
(second behind James and ahead of Reaves).

The tricky part to unpack, for the Lakers’ purposes, is that they went 8-6
during each of those spans. Still, Russell deserves credit for turning his
season around and making the Lakers think twice about how much of an upgrade
Murray might be. The defensive possibilities that come with Murray are
certainly playing a big part here, as he is a much more effective wing
defender than Russell and the Lakers (who just lost forward Jarred Vanderbilt
for at least three weeks because of a foot sprain) are currently 14th in
defensive rating.

就湖人評估他們的交易籌碼而言，這部分肯定值得注意，Russell選擇在這個時刻打出他最
好的表現，只需看看這裡的前後對比:

Russell自12/1至1/9(14場比賽):場均10.4分(41% FG 32.9 % 3P 5 3PA)與5.4助攻。12/23
Ham將Russell下放至板凳而7場之後他就回到了先發。

那之後的14場比賽:他是湖人第二高的得分點(LBJ之後 AD之前)，場均23.6分(46.8% FG
46.3% 3P 8 3PA)與6.5助攻(LBJ之後的第二，Reaves之前)。

對於湖人而言，難以理解的部分是，在這兩個時段內，他們都以8-6的戰績取得了勝利。
儘管如此，DLo應該為挽回賽季受到稱讚並使湖人重新思考Murray在多大程度上會是一個升


The Hawks and the Murray calculus
It’s been 20 months since the previous Hawks front-office regime succumbed
to ownership pressure and did the Murray deal with the San Antonio Spurs that
cost them three first-rounders, a first-round pick swap and Danilo Gallinari.
They were one year removed from an East finals appearance at the time, with
organizational aspirations of title contention if they could find the right
star to pair alongside franchise centerpiece Trae Young.

But as we’ve seen since, with the Hawks getting bounced in the first round
of the playoffs in consecutive years and now sitting 10th in the East
(22-28), even after a recent four-game winning streak, this clearly wasn’t
the move to make back then. And the 25-year-old Young, who is the only player
in the league averaging at least 27 points and 10 assists and was named an
All-Star for the third time on Tuesday, hasn’t gotten any … younger in the
process.

As Marc Stein reported recently, and which was confirmed by a league source
to The Athletic, second-year Hawks coach Quin Snyder is known to be
advocating for the Hawks to hold onto Murray. That sort of prominent voice is
certainly enough to split the room, so to speak, when a particular trade is
being analyzed.

老鷹與Murray的盤算

距離老鷹上次因為屈服於來自老闆方的壓力而與聖安東尼奧馬刺進行的Murray交易案已經
過了20個月了，而這筆交易讓他們損失了3個首輪選秀權、1個首輪交換權與Danilo
Gallinari。當然，他們當時距離上一次打進東區決賽僅有一年，球隊渴望找到合適的球星
來搭配Trae Young。





What’s more, the Hawks’ front office, which is now led by general manager
Landry Fields, added another key figure recently who is surely weighing in on
the conversation. Chris Grant, the former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager
who worked with Fields in recent years while with the Spurs, was added by
Atlanta as an executive adviser in mid-January.

The challenge here for the Hawks, it seems, is that doing this deal without
Reaves would do very little to help their chances of winning now. There is
value in recouping some of the assets lost in the trade to land Murray, but
one first-rounder (and perhaps a first-round swap and/or second-rounders)
pales in comparison to what they gave up to get him in 2022.

此外，由Landry Fields所領導的老鷹管理層最近增加了另一個重要人物。前騎士GM Chris
Grant(曾經在馬刺與Fields共事數年)在一月中加入亞特蘭大成為執行顧問。



The question, then, is whether they decide to forge ahead with this flawed
roster while waiting until this summer to revisit the Murray market. Young is
signed through the 2026-27 campaign, which lessens the pressure a bit when it
comes to their star player politics. They’re only 5 1/2 games out of the
sixth spot in the East (and the chance to avoid the Play-In Tournament), with
recent wins over the Raptors, Lakers, Suns and Warriors (not to mention a
close loss Monday night to the red-hot Clippers) showing signs of promise.
And considering the way Murray has played of late, waiting this out might be
the right move for the Hawks.

Since Dec. 31, Murray is averaging 23.7 points (48.4 percent shooting
overall; 35.2 percent from 3 on six attempts per), 5.9 rebounds and 5.2
assists. Among players who have played at least 30 games this season, only 11
have reached those 23-5-5 thresholds (Murray is at 21.4 points, 5.1 rebounds
and 5.2 assists for the season).

The eerie quietness of this 2024 trade deadline season, in other words, might
continue on this front too. Whether LeBron likes it or not.

那麼問題就是在於他們是否願意在本繼續使用這支有缺陷的陣容並等到夏天再重新考慮




換句話說，這個2024年的交易截止日季節可能在這方面也會繼續保持沉默。無論LeBron是
否喜歡。

--
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc), 來自: 98.217.185.18 (美國)
※ 作者: EZ78 2024-02-07 12:08:06
※ 文章代碼(AID): #1bmm8edw (NBA)
※ 文章網址: https://www.ptt.cc/bbs/NBA/M.1707278888.A.9FA.html