Atlanta’s front office has kept Trey Murphy III on the trade board as the summer approaches. The Hawks are ready to attach several future first-round picks and moveable contracts to a package that would bring the 26-year-old to Atlanta. Murphy would command a $27 million salary next season, and his contract contains no no-trade clause.

Murphy posted a 21.5-point, 5.7-rebound, 3.8-assist line last season while shooting 47.0 percent from the field, 37.9 percent from three and 88.6 percent from the free-throw line. Over his career he averages 15.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists, and his playoff numbers sit at 7.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists. Those splits place him among the league’s more efficient two-way forwards, especially given his ability to score from all three levels and finish at the rim.

The fit with Jalen Johnson is immediate. Johnson’s athleticism and inside-out game need a wing who can stretch the floor, defend multiple positions and keep the offense fluid when the ball swings to the perimeter. Murphy’s three-level scoring and reputation as one of the league’s smoothest jump shooters complement CJ McCollum’s slashing style. Their prior chemistry from their time together in New Orleans should translate to quick on-court rapport. Defensively, Murphy can guard positions one through four, giving the Hawks a versatile switch option that has been missing in their rotation.

Atlanta’s recent playoff history underscores the urgency. The Hawks fell to the New York Knicks in six games in the first round, extending a series-win drought that dates back to 2021 when Trae Young carried the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. Adding a player of Murphy’s caliber aligns with the front office’s pattern of leveraging draft capital to accelerate a win-now window around Johnson, while the Pelicans remain in a rebuild that makes moving Murphy’s salary more palatable.

The next few weeks will determine whether the trade materializes before the July 1 moratorium. Atlanta must balance its cap space while ensuring the incoming contracts fit under the luxury tax threshold. If the Hawks can swing a package of future picks and expendable salaries, Murphy could be on board for training camp and immediately form a dangerous trio with Johnson and McCollum. That group would give Atlanta three-level scoring, perimeter defense and playmaking versatility on both ends of the floor.

Murphy has developed into exactly the type of forward contenders covet: a 26-year-old who can defend four positions, space the floor at a high clip and create off the dribble. For a Hawks team that has not won a playoff series since 2021, acquiring him would represent a clear shift toward championship contention in the Jalen Johnson era. The front office must now decide if the price in future assets is worth accelerating that timeline.