Boston Celtics Receive: G Dejounte Murray, SAS 2024 2nd Round Pick
San Antonio Spurs Receive: G Marcus Smart, G Romeo Langford, BOS 2022 1st Round Pick (Top-10 Protected), BOS 2026 2nd Round Pick
If the Celtics are going to want to trade for Dejounte Murray, then they are going to have to be willing to part ways with Marcus Smart. He is the only guy on their roster who’s contract somewhat matches that of Murray’s and he is also in the final year of his contract.
This is not only advantageous to the Spurs in terms of them rebuilding and not having to be tied down to a long-term deal, but they could also have some interest in keeping Smart. Acquiring him gives San Antonio options, which is something they do not have with guys like Dejounte Murray and Derrick White, who are tied down to long-term deals.
The Spurs do like Murray and view him as a key guy for them moving forward, but they are also interested in seeing what kind of value they can get for him. Getting a multi-talented guard like Marcus Smart, who is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, is definitely a valuable asset they would like to have and Romeo Langford is a young player they could be willing to roll the dice on.
Langford was drafted 14th overall by Boston in 2019, but he has only played in 50 games through his first two years in the league because of injuries. If he can remain healthy, Romeo Langford possesses upside as a two-way shooting guard in the league, especially because of his length and athleticism in the open-court.
From Boston’s point of view, adding Dejounte Murray gives them a younger version of Marcus Smart who has more upside on the offensive-end of the floor. Murray is a very underrated defender and does not seem to get the same level of appreciation Marcus Smart gets, even though they both averaged 1.5 steals per game last season.
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Being a two-way point guard who is more than comfortable scoring in the open-court is what makes Dejounte Murray a valuable player and why the Celtics could look to utilize him in their backcourt. The Celtics want to win now and Murray gives them the ability to do so now and moving forward.
Now, let’s take a look at this deal from both team’s perspectives and see if this is a trade that makes sense for both the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs.
