Recent Reports Offer Various Levels of Dejounte Murray and Sixers Connectivity
Couple of recent reports connecting Dejounte Murray’s name to the Sixers, first Shams last week:
Sixers active but not as engaged on Dejounte Murray, Zach Lavine or Pascal Siakam; per @ShamsCharania
“There’s going to be options for them [Sixers] in the summer, they have a bunch of assets, remember they got two first round picks from the Clippers.”
— BASKETBALL ON 𝕏 (@BasketballOnX) January 17, 2024
Shams – “I think they’re going to be measured. The one thing they have going for them is they have these salaries, like Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, that are really in that range of – it’s not a major salary, you’re not going to be bringing a max contract type of guy, but you could be in the market to bring back a really good bench piece, a really good scorer. I think they’re going to be active, I don’t get the sense that they’re as engaged on Dejounte Murray or Zach LaVine.”
And then Keith Pompey at the Inquirer wrote this Sunday:
The 76ers are taking a patient approach to exploring trade opportunities.
They believe proceeding deliberately aligns with the fact that they’re expected to have more salary-cap space than any contender heading into the offseason. Yet, they’re among teams monitoring Dejounte Murray’s uncertain future with the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks reportedly want two first-round picks and a player of value included in a package for Murray, who has struggled to mesh on the floor with Atlanta All-Star point guard Trae Young.
The Sixers could go any number of ways here. There’s not a clear path. They will have max contract space in the summer and could really go for it then. They have Tobias Harris on an expiring deal as well. The question is whether or not they’re jumping the gun by making moves now, considering that they’re overachieving relative to expectations but still find themselves trailing Boston and Milwaukee in the east.
RE: Murray specifically, he’s not a perfect fit next to Trae Young in Atlanta. The Hawks are 18-24 this season, and they have some talent, but don’t look like a “get over the hump” candidate. Murray is on an expiring contract, a $17 million cap hit this season, and if you bring him here, then he can take some of the ball-handling duties from Tyrese Maxey and provide some better defense on the perimeter.
EDIT – there’s this as well from Neubeck:
FWIW, the Sixers have started pushing back on the possibility of trading for Dejounte Murray as he’s been connected to them more lately.
My two cents: could just be expectation setting based on price, hasn’t been as forceful as w/ LaVine. But that’s where things are right now
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) January 21, 2024