Is Dejounte Murray a real trade candidate for the Spurs?

In the 2023 NBA Draft, the Spurs were lucky enough to have the #1 overall pick. They drafted Victor Wembanyama and he’s proven to be a solid player so far. However, Wembanyama can only do so much to help the team win. San Antonio is still missing a lot of pieces they need to be a true contender in the West. 

Through 35 games this season, the Spurs have a 5-30 record. The team needs help if they want to change the culture of their franchise. Recently, NBA insider Sham Charania noted that the Spurs could be interested in acquiring one of their former players. He said the team could look to trade for Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray. San Antonio has several trade assets that could make a potential deal happen down the line.

Is Dejounte Murray a player who could help Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs?

“Dejounte Murray is trade eligible starting today…One team that has a level of exploratory interest I’m told, is his former team, the San Antonio Spurs.”@ShamsCharania on Dejounte Murray’s current situation.

📺: https://t.co/wdT8I0ST8g pic.twitter.com/clX8AebJXn

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 9, 2024

Back in 2016, the Spurs drafted Dejounte Murray with the 29th overall pick in the first round. He continued to progress each season for San Antonio before he became an all-star for the first time in 2021-22. That was his final season before the Spurs traded him to Atlanta in the 2022 offseason. Murray was thriving in his last season with San Antonio, but they felt it was time to move on. The 27-year-old has been with Atlanta for the last two seasons.

With the Hawks, Murray has not been able to build chemistry with all-star PG Trae Young. Both players are ball-dominate and it’s hard for them to mesh when playing together, In reality, it might benefit Murray to be traded back to the Spurs. San Antonio is in desperate need of an all-star guard. You question why the team would even trade Muray in the first place. However, the Spurs would be lucky if they were able to reacquire Murray in the future.

The San Antonio Spurs are interested in Dejounte Murray, per @ShamsCharania

(Via @RunItBackFDTV ) pic.twitter.com/P7WDEX8MvW

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 9, 2024

This season, Dejounte Murray is averaging (20.9) points, (5.0) assists, and (1.4) steals per game. All of those averages would lead the Spurs this season. That speaks to how dysfunctional San Antonio has been in 2023-24. The team is currently on a five-game losing streak. They also lost 18 games in a row earlier this season. Who even knows if Dejounte Murray would be able to change the state of the Spurs’ franchise? One player can only do so much and Victor Wembanyama has proved that.