Recent NBA rumors have revealed that the San Antonio Spurs have gotten phone calls regarding the availability of Dejounte Murray and Derrick White on the trade market.
While White is a solid player, Murray is by far the more intriguing target. At only 25 years old, Murray is having an All-Star-caliber season this year.
It may seem weird for the Spurs to give him up, but they still aren’t that close to competing. Trading him away now could be capitalizing on his value while he’s hot.
If the Spurs were to trade Murray ahead of the trade deadline this year (which is unlikely), what are some potential packages? Here are three possible NBA trades for Murray.
NBA Trades: 3 Dejounte Murray trades for the Spurs to consider – Philadelphia 76ers
Spurs receive: Ben Simmons, Furkan Korkmaz
76ers receive: Dejounte Murray, Doug McDermott, Thaddeus Young, 2022 First-Round Pick, 2024 First-Round Pick
With all of the rumors surrounding James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers, the Sixers probably won’t end up trading Ben Simmons away this year.
But if they did decide to trade him away, this would actually be a solid haul for Simmons. The same can be said for the San Antonio Spurs, as they would be getting their new franchise player.
Simmons’ relationship with the Sixers might be broken, but he’s still extremely talented. He’s the type of player a team can build around, and maybe the Spurs can do just that.
As for Philadelphia, they’d be getting a young, All-Star-caliber point guard to pair alongside Joel Embiid for the future. That’s the ideal return for Simmons.
NBA Trades: 3 Dejounte Murray trades for the Spurs to consider – Boston Celtics
Celtics receive: Dejounte Murray, Doug McDermott
Spurs receive: Marcus Smart, Grant Williams, Romeo Langford, Aaron Nesmith, 2023 First-Round Pick, 2025 First-Round Pick
The Boston Celtics would get their franchise point guard in this deal, while the San Antonio Spurs would reset with a bunch of new young talent.
Boston has been searching for the perfect point guard to pair with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for a long time now. Dejounte Murray could be that guy.
He’s an elite defender, which would make up for the loss of Marcus Smart, and an amazing playmaker, too. Plus, he fits perfectly with their timeline.
Plus, Boston would be getting some much-needed floor spacing in Doug McDermott. The C’s desperately need some perimeter shooting, and McDermott would give them that.
On the flip side, the Spurs would get to switch up the makeup of their franchise. They would receive one defensive-minded veteran and three young players to rebuild around.
Grant Williams has turned himself into a great floor-spacing four who’s fairly versatile on the defensive end. The Spurs could give him even more opportunities.
The same can be said for both Romeo Langford and Aaron Nesmith. Both have been inconsistent, but with some more freedom, they could reach their full potential.
Throw in a couple of unprotected first-round picks and this deal isn’t terrible for San Antonio if they wanted to trade Murray. Boston would benefit greatly, too.
NBA Trades: 3 Dejounte Murray trades for the Spurs to consider – New Orleans Pelicans
Pelicans receive: Dejounte Murray
Spurs receive: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kira Lewis Jr., Jaxson Hayes, 2022 First-Round Pick (via LAL), 2023 First-Round Pick, 2024 First-Round Pick (via LAL)
This trade would see the New Orleans Pelicans get their new point guard of the future, while the San Antonio Spurs would reset and build around some new young players.
The Pelicans haven’t been very good this season. That being said, they got off to an extremely rocky start, but they have been playing much better as of late.
Dejounte Murray is putting up amazing numbers this year, and having that sort of facilitating at the point guard spot could do wonders for New Orleans, especially once Zion Williams returns.
He would also give their defense a boost. A lineup with both Murray and Herbert Jones would be incredibly fun to watch on the defensive side of the ball.
As for the Spurs, this trade would be all about the picks. If they are trading the best player on their roster they need to start thinking about the future.
That being said, the young players they’d get back aren’t terrible, either. Jaxson Hayes is an athletic big man desperately in need of a change of scenery.
Kira Lewis Jr. has dealt with injuries, but he’s a super speedy guard who’s still only 20 years old. And Nickeil Alexander-Walker has struggled with efficiency, but he’s shown some nice flashes as well.
Overall, this isn’t a terrible haul for the Spurs, especially considering that the Los Angeles Lakers might not be too good anymore by the time the ladder of those two picks comes around.