By trading Dejounte Murray to the Hawks, the Spurs seem to have chosen to enter a rebuild instead of building around the point guard. However, that doesn’t mean that the relationship between Murray and San Antonio soured.
At his first press conference with Atlanta, Murray explained that he and the Spurs worked to find him a new home that would give him a chance to win.
“They didn’t want to see me waste years rebuilding and stuff,” Murray said. “They want to see me win and the best for Dejounte, and I thank them for that a lot. That’s what makes our relationship special and family forever.”
Murray also thanked the Spurs on social media after the trade was reported, expressing his love for the city and organization.
The Spurs drafted Murray with pick No. 29 in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft. He spent six years in San Antonio, starting 249 games over the five seasons. Last year Murray had a career year, averaging a career-high 21.1 points and a league-high two steals per game.
While San Antonio drafted him following a playoff appearance, Murray didn’t play many playoff games with the Spurs, only 16 total all coming in his first two seasons. By pairing Murray with Trae Young, Atlanta instantly becomes one of Murray's best teams, with his most talented teammate.
