Windhorst: Dejounte Murray Told Spurs He Wouldn't Sign Contract Extension This Summer
The San Antonio Spurs reportedly traded All-Star guard Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, which raised eyebrows across the league.
However, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that the Spurs decided to part ways with Murray because it was inevitable that they'd lose the 25-year-old.
"He and his agent, Rich Paul, made it known that he was not going to extend his contract with the Spurs this summer," Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective podcast.
Murray signed a four-year, $64 million contract with the Spurs in 2019. He has two years remaining on the deal and is set to earn a base salary of $16.6 million next season, per Spotrac.
Windhorst said Murray was not discontent but knew he'd be worth more than what San Antonio could afford.
"And that wasn't really necessarily about the Spurs," Windhorst said. "His contract is about $16 million on average. When you extend your contract, you're limited into how much of a raise you can get. And it would've been probably below his market value as a 25-year-old All-Star. But he pretty much told them—he's like, 'I'm probably not going to extend next summer either.'"
The Spurs reportedly acquired three first-round picks and a future pick swap along with veteran forward Danilo Gallinari from the Hawks. While losing Murray is a major blow for San Antonio's chances to compete for a playoff spot next season, the franchise is set up for the future with nine first-round picks over the next five years.
