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According to reports, the San Antonio Spurs traded All-Star Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, which lifted the old ones throughout the league.
However, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that the Spurs decided to separate from Murray because it was inevitable that they would lose the 25-year-old.
“He and his agent, Rich Paul, made it known that he would not extend his contract with the Spurs this summer,” Windhorst said. The Hoop collective podcast.
Murray signed a four-year, $ 64 million contract with the Spurs in 2019. He has two years left on the deal and is expected to earn a base salary of $ 16.6 million next season, according to Spotrac.
Windhorst said Murray was not unhappy, but he knew it would be worth more than San Antonio could afford.
“And that wasn’t necessarily about the Spurs,” Windhorst said. “Your contract is about $ 16 million on average. When you extend your contract, you limit yourself to the amount of increase you can get. And it would probably have been below its market value as All-of-25 years.Stars.But he practically told them, he said, “I probably won’t get long next summer either.”
According to reports, the Spurs acquired three first-round picks and a future exchange of selection along with veteran Hawks forward Danilo Gallinari. While losing Murray is a big blow to San Antonio’s chances of competing for a playoff spot next season, the franchise is poised for the future with nine first-round picks over the next five years.