In 2018, a 21-year-old Dejounte Murray became the youngest player ever to make an All-Defensive team. The following fall, he showed progress on his outside shooting and distributing. Everything was coming together for the young Spurs point guard.
Then, disaster struck.
Just before last season, Murray tore his ACL. He missed the entire year.
Yet, he’ll still get a contract extension in San Antonio.
Shams Charania of The Athletic:
San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray has agreed to a four-year, $64M fully guaranteed contract extension, agent Rich Paul tells @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 21, 2019
Given his injury, it’d be difficult for Murray to reject this deal. It’s life-changing money. What if he lost significant athleticism or fails to hit his stride next season? That’d be a grim way to enter restricted free agency next summer.
But what if Murray picks up where he left off? This could be a major steal for the Spurs.
Given the wide range of potential outcomes, this extension seems fair. However, there’s also a reasonable chance Murray significantly underperforms or overperforms this deal. (That’s why it’s fair.)
Murray is a stout defender and elite rebounder for a guard. He can push the pace and slash to the rim. But it’s tough for lead guards who don’t shoot well from the perimeter. Murray’s playmaking for others must also improve, especially if San Antonio eventually transitions from an isolation-heavy offense around DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge.
Murray is just 23. It’s OK he’s not a finished product. The Spurs should know better than anyone how to feel about his progress since the injury. They probably deserve benefit of the doubt in evaluating his value.
Still, long-term fit questions linger with Derrick White. White stepped up in Murray’s absence last season, especially in the playoffs. But White is another subpar 3-point-shooting guard. Can they play together? White will be eligible for his own rookie-scale extension next offseason.
San Antonio is mainly focused on the present, and Murray and White will factor prominently this season. They’re still just supporting players for now, though.
Long term, Murray’s extension is a key step toward whatever comes next for the Spurs.