Latest trade news and rumours on Dejounte Murray, Bruce Brown and Zach LaVine, trade deadline date

From a surprise suitor showing interest in Dejounte Murray to an already traded player that could be on the move again, there is plenty of talk ahead of the upcoming NBA trade deadline (February 8 US time).

Here is the latest news from around the league!

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SHOCK SUITOR SHOWS INTEREST IN DEJOUNTE MURRAY

Well, this one came out of nowhere.

While it was no secret that the Atlanta Hawks are interested in moving Dejounte Murray ahead of the deadline, the Milwaukee Bucks weren’t at the front of anyone’s minds as a potential trade partner.

But according to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes the Eastern Conference contenders are “among multiple teams who are registering interest” in the Hawks guard.

Now there is an obvious difference between registering interest and actually acting on that interest.

Plus, even if Milwaukee was to make an offer to Atlanta it is hard to see the Bucks being able to compete with the kinds of packages other teams could put together.

In order to match Murray’s $18.2 million salary, the Bucks would need to build a package around Bobby Portis ($11.7 million and Pat Connaughton ($9.4 million).

That is assuming the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez are untouchable.

Then you add in the fact the Bucks only have two tradeable future picks and neither are in the first round (2024 second via Portland and 2027 second).

According to The Ringer, the Hawks are after at least two first-round picks.

That scepticism was backed up by one league source who told Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that “it would be an extreme stretch to think the Bucks have any chance at meeting the current asking price”.

Rather, any chance of Milwaukee landing Murray would hinge on a third or fourth team being involved in the deal.

LAKERS AMONG TEAMS EXPECTED TO TRY TRADE FOR BRUCE BROWN

Elsewhere, having already been moved as part of the Pascal Siakam trade it appears like championship-winning guard Bruce Brown could find himself on a third team very shortly.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein there is a “strong belief” that Brown, who was sent along with Jordan Nwora and three first-round picks to the Raptors in exchange for Siakam, will be again traded before the deadline.

While the Raptors can’t include any other players in a deal that involves Brown they still may be able to strike an agreement centred around the 27-year-old alone given his contract.

Brown is due $22 million this season and has a $23 million team option next season.

Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported that if the Raptors do decide to move on from Brown the Lakers “will have interest in acquiring him” according to team sources.

“The Lakers coveted Brown last summer and believed they were the favourites to sign him using the team’s nontaxpayer midlevel exception before Indiana swooped in with a cap-space offer,” Buha added.

The Lakers are expected to have plenty of competition for Brown though, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reporting on Saturday that the guard is expected to have a “big market”.

The Knicks, who made the first big swing ahead of the deadline in striking a deal with the Raptors for OG Anunoby, are one of the teams to watch according to Wojnarowski.

The Knicks had shown interest in Brown before he signed with Indiana in free agency, with the 27-year-old telling The New York Post that he FaceTimed Tom Thibodeau and Leon Rose.

“[They] were saying to come in and be a defender, do the little things to help them win,” Brown said at the time.

“Thibs has always been a fan of mine, even coming out the draft when he was with Minnesota.

“And every time I played against him we had a few communications. But this was the first time to actually get a chance to get me.”

Brown isn’t the only guard the Knicks may have interest in after trading away Immanuel Quickley as part of the Anunoby deal.

Rather, according to Stein, the Knicks have a “level of interest” in Utah’s Jordan Clarkson as well as Portland’s Malcolm Brogdon, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier and Detroit’s Alec Burks.

‘NOT HAPPENING’: LAKERS TIPPED TO NOT MAKE A MOVE FOR LAVINE

Meanwhile, Zach LaVine was one of the other bigger names to watch ahead of the deadline but an injury to the two-time All-Star has thrown a spanner in the works.

LaVine, who had been previously linked to the Lakers, is expected to miss at least one-to-two weeks with an ankle injury.

It comes after he missed all of December with a foot injury that the shooting guard had only just returned from, only to now find himself back on the sidelines.

Those injury concerns along with LaVine’s contract, which involves taking on another three years and $138 million, have been stumbling blocks to any deal getting done.

Now the Lakers, who were expected to be his most intriguing suitor, appear to not have much interest and that was before the latest injury setback.

“I’m told that’s not happening,” Lakers insider Dave McMenamin said on SportsCenter. “Laker fans if you’re thinking about the UCLA Bruin coming back to Los Angeles to help this team, don’t count on it. You’re looking at the Lakers surveying the market for point guard help and one guy you can look at is certainly Tyus Jones with the Washington Wizards. … Another guy you look to is Collin Sexton.”

LaVine is averaging 20.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists this season while shooting 45.3 per cent from the field and 34.9 per cent from behind the arc.