The Spurs boast a young, talented backcourt, but they struggle to get consistency from the rest of their roster, and this group simply doesn’t look like it’s going to get over the hump anytime soon.
And that makes them ripe for a trade this summer.
Dejounte Murray and Derrick White, when healthy, are two of the better guards in the league. White missed half of last season with an ankle injury, but when he’s been at full strength, he’s been one of the best perimeter defenders in the league.
Murray is a complete player, as he really can do it all. He averaged 15.4 points, 3.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game last season, despite having little known talent to play with around him. In the right system, with a top-tier big man, he could develop into one of the top 10 guards in the league.
But the Spurs have missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, finishing 10th and 11th place in the Western Conference standings. And it might make sense to move Murray or White while they’re young, with their stock high. Just look what happened to Ben Simmons’ value in just one year.
And while the rumor mill is still fairly quiet, given that the NBA Finals are currently taking place, The Athletic floated an interesting nugget, reporting that Murray and White are “gettable” this summer via trade.
It’d make sense, as the guards are young, and head coach Gregg Popovich is 72. The Spurs don’t have the luxury of waiting forever to wait for this group to jell. It simply hasn’t happened yet, and doesn’t look like it ever will. Shaking up the roster makes a lot of sense.
