Spurs Agree to 4-Year Contract Extension With Dejounte Murray
By Michael Luciano
One of the most promising two-way guards in the NBA just secured his bag, and will stay in San Antonio for the forseeable future as a result.
The Spurs agreed to a four-year, $64 million extension with point guard Dejounte Murray, who missed all of last year with an injury, per a Monday report from Shams Charania.
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
Box score heads might laugh at this deal, as Murray averaged 8.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game in 21.5 during the 2017-18 season. However, the biggest share of his value to date lies in his perimeter defense, as the former first-round pick out of Washington was a member of the 2017-18 All-Defensive Team.
Per 36 minutes, Murray averaged 13.5 points, 9.5 boards, 4.8 assists, and 2 steals per game, all of which would be exceptional for a 21-year-old point guard. When paired with elite on-ball defense and a presumably improving jump shot -- a huge negative for him coming out of college -- then this deal is starting to look pretty economical for the Spurs.
Spurs have viewed Dejounte Murray as a cornerstone, and sides lock in long-term deal that banks on the point guard's development after he missed last season with torn ACL and averaged 8pts/5.7rebs/2.85asts in 2017-18. https://t.co/hfSCcqJ7hn
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 21, 2019
It remains to be seen if he'll be an equal to Tony Parker at any point, as that will be a truly tall order, but Murray has proven that he has the tools necessary to lead a Gregg Popovich team on both sides of the ball.