Subscribe
Follow Us
Friday night, the Philadelphia 76ers took their home floor against a depleted San Antonio Spurs squad. While the Sixers came away with a win in blowout fashion, there was an underlying storyline in this matchup. That being the play of Spurs' point guard Dejounte Murray.
As we know, one of the main topics surrounding the Sixers this season is the Ben Simmons saga. As we rapidly approach the halfway point of the regular season, the former no. 1 pick has still yet to suit up in a game. A trade remains the most likely outcome. It is simply a matter of when.
Since the saga began over the summer, countless teams and players have been linked to the three-time All-Star. Some names include high-profile stars like Damian Lillard to young on-the-rise standouts like De'Aaron Fox.
They have not been a consistent name, but the Spurs have popped up in Simmons rumors from time to time. If a deal like this were to go down, San Antonio would have to part ways with their franchise point guard.
Daryl Morey has stood firm in his asking price for Simmons, and that will likely never change. Until an All-Star caliber player is but on the table, he has no intentions of doing business. While Murray might not be an All-Star yet, his potential was on full display against the Sixers.
While it may have been in a losing effort, Murray did it all for the Spurs on Friday night. In 35 minutes of action, he posted a stat line of 27 points, five rebounds, nine assists, three steals, and one block. Not a bad night at the office for someone who was guarded by Matisse Thybulle for most of the game.
Whether he saw this game as an audition or not, Murray put on an incredible performance. More importantly, he showed why he should be on Morey's radar as a potential trade partner for Simmons.
This deal makes a lot of sense, as Murray's game mirrors Simmons' a lot. He is also a do-it-all point guard who can fill the stat sheet while providing high-level defense. Murray might not be on the same level as Simmons yet, but he sure has a chance to get there.
The 25-year-old is currently in the midst of a career year for the Spurs. So far this season, Murray is averaging a career-high in points (18.0), rebounds (8.4), assists (8.9), and steals (2.0).
We are now just a little over a month away from the NBA trade deadline, and the Simmons buzz is sure to start picking up quickly. Time is finally running out for Morey to make the big decision of moving on from Simmons now or dragging this out to another offseason.
After seeing what he did on Friday, Murray certainly has to be on Morey's list of possible trade targets.
