Boston Celtics: 2 under-the-radar offseason trade targets

Boston Celtics fill the future hole at point guard

With the Spurs nearing the start of their rebuild, adding a couple of young assets and a pick could be ideal. While Murray is only 24, there are concerns that he and teammate Derrick White’s playstyles are too similar.

Mark Barrington of Pounding the Rock spoke about the potential issue around the 2021 trade deadline: 

"“I think that there’s some overlap between Derrick White and Dejounte Murray’s game, so I could see situations where one of them gets traded…”"

Even if the Spurs choose to prioritize Murray over White, the C’s should look into a move like this for either player. Both are solid defensively, and more importantly, ready to contribute right away.

Murray would be the far more interesting player to pursue from Boston’s point of view. Many around the league believe Tatum and Brown need a facilitator to help run the offense, and Murray is just that.

The guard averaged 15.7 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 5.4 APG last season. While he is not the most efficient three-point shooter (31.7%), he makes his impact in other ways.

The focal point of Murray’s game has always been his status as an elite defender. He averaged 1.5 SPG last season and constantly matches up with the best guards on opposing teams.

Murray would be able to grow with Tatum and Brown, helping solidify a core group of players going forward in Boston.