NBA: Dejounte Murray Agrees To Four-year, $120 Million Extension With Hawks, Per Report

Dejounte Murray agrees to four-year, $120 million extension with Hawks, per report

Last updated: 2023/07/07 - 1:06 AM

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Dejounte Murray has agreed to a four-year, $120 million extension with the Atlanta Hawks, according to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes. The deal represents the most the Hawks could legally pay Murray, whose extension was limited by the CBA’s rules governing veteran extensions. Unless such a player earns super-max eligibility, he is limited to a 40% raise in the first season of a new deal. Murray has largely outplayed his original rookie extension, which he signed in San Antonio before becoming an All-Star, and is set to make just $17.7 million in guaranteed salary this season.

Overall, that capped Murray at this $120 million figure. Notably, however, this sort of deal would not have even been possible under the 2017 CBA. That agreement capped players at a 20% raise in the first season of a veteran extension rather than the new 40%. That rule has ironically been called the “Jaylen Brown” rule, as it was expected to give the Celtics a mechanism to re-sign Brown at a fair price. However, Brown ultimately circumvented it entirely by making an All-NBA Team and earning super max eligibility. That instead makes Murray the first big-name player to benefit from this change.

The Hawks traded for Murray last offseason in the hopes that he could help lift them back into contention in the Eastern Conference after a disappointing follow-up to their 2021 run to the Eastern Conference finals. That didn’t happen. The Hawks needed the play-in round to sneak into the playoffs. Individually, however, Murray maintained his excellent play from San Antonio, averaging 20.5 points and 6.1 assists for the Hawks while providing his typically stellar defense.

The long-term question facing the Hawks will be how Murray and fellow star guard Trae Young fit under new head coach Quin Snyder, who was hired late last season to replace Nate McMillan. The Hawks have largely spent this offseason operating on the fringes, trading away John Collins and absorbing the contracts of Usman Garuba and TyTy Washington in order to both save money and create more playing time for younger players.

That hasn’t dulled the high expectations in Atlanta however. The Hawks have two All-Stars in their backcourt and one of the most expensive coaches in the NBA. They still have questions to answer elsewhere on the roster, but Murray, Young and Snyder give them the foundation of a possible winner.

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