The San Antonio Spurs were dealt a serious blow on Sunday when Dejounte Murray went down in their preseason matchup against the Houston Rockets. He suffered a non-contact injury which turned out to be a torn ACL. The Spurs will likely be eligible to apply for the disabled player exception for Murray according to Bobby Marks of ESPN, though it won't have much value. Marks writes:

San Antonio will likely be eligible to apply for the Disabled Player Exception for Dejounte Murray. The DPE will have little value based on the exception worth 50% of the $1.5M contract for Murray. The Spurs have 14 guaranteed contracts, 1 partial with Quincy Pondexter, $1.6M of the midlevel and $838K of the biannual exception.

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By using the DPE, the Spurs have the chance to fill Murray's spot on the roster. Gregg Popovich and the front office are put in a tough position. Murray is one of the most important players on the roster, and his defensive presence will be sorely missed.

Additionally, the Spurs will be without first-round pick Lonnie Walker IV, who recently tore his meniscus. He won't miss near as much time as Murray, but the Spurs will be without two of their exciting young players on opening night.

Popovich's mettle will be tested this season. The Spurs are no guarantee to make the playoffs in the Western Conference especially after such significant roster turnover. Popovich could be facing his toughest test as a head coach after a roller-coaster last few months.