The San Antonio Spurs will look a lot different next season after pulling off a blockbuster trade on Wednesday, shipping All-Star guard Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for multiple first-round picks and Danilo Gallinari. Although it may seem puzzling to some that the Spurs would get rid of their best player, it appears there was a good reason for it, aside from the team rebuilding.
Per Brian Windhorst (via Real GM), Murray never planned to sign an extension this summer, with his current deal running out in 2024. To be honest, though, it makes total sense for the PG. The Spurs could only give him approximately 20% of a pay increase of his $16.6 million salary, which is far below his value as an All-Star. As Keith Smith noted, him becoming a UFA in a couple of years will earn Murray a much bigger deal:
It should be noted: Murray's extension amount with the Spurs would have been pretty small. Way less than he could get by playing out his deal and signing a new contract when he becomes a free agent. A downside to a team-friendly rookie scale extension is the next extension. https://t.co/3XKhC9r8tL
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 30, 2022
Murray was a stud last season for the Spurs, averaging 21.1 points, 9.2 assists, and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting over 45% from the field. Yes, he's a great player, but San Antonio just received serious draft capital for the future as they look to start from scratch in a sense.
His fit in Atlanta should be perfect, too. It gives Trae Young a co-star who can play on and off the ball, taking all the offensive burden off his shoulders. Murray and the Spurs both made the right decisions here.
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