ATLANTA — No matter how difficult it was to conclude that trading guard Dejounte Murray was necessary, Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields knows he faces more challenges this offseason.
The recent NBA draft brought Atlanta two players, including No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher. Saturday’s trade with the New Orleans Pelicans added four veterans to the roster, plus two future first-round draft picks, for Murray.
That leaves the Hawks with an overstocked roster and the possibility that more veterans could leave Atlanta.
Fields said Wednesday that the decision to trade Murray, who with Trae Young formed a high-scoring backcourt for the Hawks the past two seasons, followed the conclusion that “we wanted to reshape some things.”
“It was hard decisions, challenging,” Fields said. “We knew that where we ultimately want to be was going to require some challenging decisions. … So from now until the start of the season, we’ll have some more tough decisions to make.”