ATLANTA
This is the big one. Hawks blow up their core and bring back a very young prospect still with a lot of potential. Get 3 draft picks and a ton of salary space.
Jalen just isn't working for Houston. He's taken a step behind Sengun and FVV for the scoring load and it's clear he's lost his confidence. A new team could be just what he needs and a bit of priority (behind Trae of course) might see him trend in the right direction. His defense and passing has gotten a LOT better over the year, even as his offense has shrunk. I think this may be the perfect system for him right now.
The picks arent anything to handwaive either. The Brooklyn pick (FROM HOU) is likely high lottery, while the Mavs pick (from NY) currently sits in the early 20s. The protection could be lighter on the 26' pick, otherwise could be subbed in with a later Rockets pick of their own.
This also clears the way for Okongwu to step up into the starting role and with the size at the 3 and 4 they become super switchable and versatile.
Line up:
Trae/Jalen/Johnson/Hunter/Okongwu
Mills/Fournier/Bey/AJ/Fernando
HOUSTON
This is my favourite landing spot for Murray (showing my bias), where he can really lean into his offensive tools. His defense has fallen off, but I don't see Ime forcing that trend. Grimes is the sharpshooter the bench need and Hartenstein is EXACTLY the type of backup big that's perfect for Sengun (I really wanted Houston to get him in the off season). Sengun has become THAT guy, and with this switchable squad around him, the Rockets should look good for the foreseeable future.
There is still a lot of flexibility in the off season and beyond too. Jock is only on 1 year guaranteed, Uncle Jeff is off the books and Dillon Brooks contract scales down over the years. FVV is only guaranteed through 2025 too.
Lineup:
FVV/Murray/Brooks/Jabari/Sengun
Amen/Grimes/Whitmore/Tari/Hartenstein
NEW YORK
Pretty simple. They get the best players in the deal (minus Murray) and round out their roster looking at playoff success. Bogdan is a flamethrower, Clint is a massive body with playoff experience and Tate is a great wing defender for the bench. They will miss Hartenstein who could walk this offseason and Grimes, while great, has been in trade rumours for the last month (which unfortunately automatically lowers your trade value in the NBA).
Im not sure this is enough to get New York past Boston or Philly, but IMO it definitely increases their chances, especially with OG coming on board earlier.
Mitchell and Clint can split the time pretty easily imo, but Clint gets the nod to start just purely based on keeping both as healthy as possible through the playoffs.
Brinson/Bogdan/OG/Randle/Clint
Flynn/Divincenzo/Hart/Tate/Mitchell