The San Antonio Spurs have long been urged to trade De'Aaron Fox, and one mock trade would see them bring back an NBA All-Star.
The San Antonio Spurs are all-in on winning as many games as possible this season, and they seem to think that keeping De'Aaron Fox on the roster is the best course of action.
Fox, of course, was an All-Star last season, but was then hampered by injuries in the postseason. His lackluster NBA Finals performance has been blamed as the sole reason for the Spurs falling to the New York Knicks, and the fanbase has soured on him.
Despite trade rumors, the Spurs have made it very clear that they don't plan on trading him...yet. Owed over $220 million over the next four seasons, the Spurs will have to trade him eventually, simply to make financial room to extend Dylan Harper.
A recently proposed deal clears up enough room for the Spurs to commit to their youth long-term.
Mock Trade Brings Dejounte Murray to San Antonio
One of the biggest reasons the Spurs don't want to trade Fox is simple: they don't have much point guard depth. If Fox is gone, they still have Harper and Stephon Castle, sure, but behind them, the only ball-handler on the roster is Jordan McLaughlin.
The Spurs need a contingency plan.
Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes cooked up a mock trade. In his deal, the Spurs would send Fox, Luke Kornet, Atlanta's 2027 first-round pick, Boston's 2028 first-round pick, a 2030 first-round pick, Sacramento's 2031 first-round pick, and three second-rounders for Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy III.
Murphy III is one of the better 3-and-D players in the NBA and would be a starter on pretty much any team in the league, moving either Devin Vassell or Tobias Harris to the bench. The Spurs have long been linked to him.
Murray, on the other hand, would mostly come back to Texas as a salary filler. He has a $30.7 million player option in 2027-28 and would likely only be on the Spurs for the next two seasons. Behind Harper, though, he would be an elite backup, provided he can stay healthy.
The Pelicans, meanwhile, are given the ammunition to kick off a rebuild. The Spurs would have to have tons of faith in Tarris Reed's ability to step up as a backup right away, but with four seasons of college ball under his belt, he should be seasoned enough.
Murray has played in only 45 games over the last two seasons. For a chance to play for a winning franchise, he might be willing to take on a lesser role.
