The San Antonio Spurs are ready to compete this season after a couple seasons of rebuilding. They have two franchise cornerstones in Victor Wembanyama, and Dylan Harper. They have great supporting pieces in Stephon Castle, Carter Bryant, and Jeremy Sochan.
Even with Gregg Popovich retiring, new head coach Mitch Johnson showed last season that he has what it takes to lead this team.
The future is bright for the Spurs, and with a litany of draft picks and young players at their disposal, they can make a huge swing in the trade market. It seems that they have this in mind, according to recent reports.
The Spurs reportedly have interest in Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III
Murphy is coming off the best season of his career. He averaged a career high in points (21.2), and assists (3.5). He was highly efficient with a true-shooting percentage of 60, and he was above league average at the rim and corner threes.
Murphy also upped his assist percentage to 15.9, which was also a career-high. At only 25-years old, and with a fresh four-year contract extension, Murphy is only growing.
The one weakness that San Antonio has is at the wing spot. They do have Sochan, and they did draft Bryant, but neither has the scoring upside of Murphy. Murphy would allow for more balance in the Spurs’ offensive attack and take the pressure off of Wembanyama and the backcourt rotation.
Murphy is also a great floor spacer. He shot 40 percent on catch-and-shoot threes and 46 percent on corner threes. He is obviously more than a spot-up shooter, but his catch-and-shoot ability would be a huge plus. The Spurs ranked inside the top ten in threes made and attempted last season but only 20th in three-point percentage.
The Pelicans have a high asking price for Murphy
New Orleans just signed Murphy to an extension less than a year ago, and are trying to retool their team around Zion Williamson. Murphy is a valuable member of their young core, and the Pelicans would reportedly want multiple first rounders, and young players.
The Spurs have been reluctant to part with their young players like Castle and Sochan, along with their draft picks. Murphy would help put San Antonio over the top and give them some much-needed versatility at the wing spot.
He is only growing as a player, and his contract is extremely team-friendly. He also fits the timeline of this team. The Spurs had interest in upgrading their wing spot in the offseason, as they made an offer for Kevin Durant. Murphy is younger, on a cheaper deal, and would be in the fold for years to come.
If New Orleans is willing to play ball, San Antonio has to take a swing on Murphy. He is one of the most underrated players in the league, and would make the Spurs even more of a threat out West.
