The New York Knicks still face the need to address their starting point guard position. During the 2022 NBA Draft, there was a clear focus to open up salary cap space to fuel their Jalen Brunson pursuit. One emerging option has been Dejounte Murray.
Murray has been a name that has circulated in NBA trade rumors increasingly as of late. The San Antonio Spurs did not move him on draft night, but the speculation has continued amid the Knicks’ ongoing need to address the point guard position.
Murray is coming off his first All-Star campaign with averages of 21.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and 2.0 steals. He’s become an annual candidate for one of the All-Defensive Teams and continues to improve his offensive game. He’s set to turn 26 before the start of next season.
It was mentioned in NBA trade rumors that in order to trade for Murray, the team acquiring him would need to part with a “Jrue Holiday-like” trade package. Such a deal would consist of at least two future first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: New York Knicks Among 3 Trade Packages Involving Dejounte Murray For San Antonio Spurs To Consider
As one former NBA executive explained to NBA Analysis Network, Murray would be a strong fit for the Knicks. He would bring a needed presence as an on-ball defender while also adding playmaking to an offense that lacks a superior passing talent.
Murray would help the Knicks a lot. He’s disruptive guarding the ball since he’s competitive, is a bigger guard, and has a lot of length. He seems to embrace tough matchups. That’s always a trait you want in your guy who is handling the point of attack. If you need to get better defensively, he’s a great player to have.
It makes sense for the Knicks to value adding an impact player on defense, especially one that guards at the point of attack. The team began last season starting Kemba Walker and relied on Alec Burks often to fill the role. Managing to upgrade to Murray would set the tone for the unit at the start of possessions in a needed way.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: New York Knicks Among 3 Trade Packages Involving Dejounte Murray For San Antonio Spurs To Consider
The former executive likes the potential the Knicks’ offense would have with Murray considering he’d bring a boost in the passing department while also being an upgrade as a scorer. The ex-exec would like to see New York add a five that can space the floor if Julius Randle would still be in the picture.
Murray can set the table for the offense and would be the Knicks’ best passer. I’d like to see a stretch big if you have Randle, Murray, and Barrett all playing together. Each of those guys is best when they get into the paint and none of them are much for pull-up shooters from 3. It could get pretty cramped if a non-shooter is in the dunker. If there’s spacing, I’d like the two-man game with Randle and Murray a lot. They could put a lot of pressure on a defense together in ball screens and DHOs with everyone else spaced out. Both of them can attack the mismatch, too.
The limitations would be there with Randle, Barrett, and Murray all not being great pull-up 3-point shooters. They are each capable of converting at times, but the results were inconsistent for each last season. It does go a long way when there is at least a capability of converting as opposed to being an outright non-threat who isn’t willing to take them.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: New York Knicks Among 3 Trade Packages Involving Dejounte Murray For San Antonio Spurs To Consider
When asked about whether the Spurs should consider trading Murray, the former executive explained it depends on how they view the progress in the development of their supporting cast around Murray. If they are confident that Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell among others are ready to make a bigger impact in the near future, it would be best to wait. However, there’s a case for doing it if they want to make the most of their chances for a top pick in the loaded 2023 draft class.
It just depends on the direction the Spurs think they’re headed. If they want to get the most out of this 2023 class, it makes sense to put yourself in the best position to land a top pick. Trading Murray would be the quickest way to do it. If they feel some of their younger guys like Keldon Johnson or Devin Vassell are on the verge of something special, it’s better to be patient. They also have a lot of cap space this summer. It would be best to wait and see how that goes before hitting the reset button. I probably wouldn’t do it if I’m San Antonio. I have a lot of confidence in how they get guys better down there.
It still remains unlikely for the San Antonio Spurs to actually look to trade Murray. San Antonio tends to take pride in being as competitive as it can be. They are improving after drafting Jeremy Sochan with the No. 9 overall pick to play the four spot. They also have the cap space in order to be aggressive in free agency if they can get some key players to take their money.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: New York Knicks Among 3 Trade Packages Involving Dejounte Murray For San Antonio Spurs To Consider
The New York Knicks are still very much in the mix for Jalen Brunson as he is set to enter free agency. They still need to clear more salary-cap space to offer him a big enough contract to entice him to leave the Dallas Mavericks after coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance. If they strike out on Brunson, they can pursue veteran options like Malcolm Brogdon or Mike Conley if they haven’t already been traded.
