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The real work begins now for the San Antonio Spurs following their crushing NBA Finals loss to the New York Knicks.
With the right offseason moves, the Spurs could ensure they're in title contention for years to come. In Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley's opinion, San Antonio could find themselves targeting a 6-foot-8 New Orleans Pelicans star forward who’s expected to garner significant interest from the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Boston Celtics.
“If the Spurs think they need an impact player but not necessarily an identity-changing star, then they could see Murphy as their priority target,” Buckley wrote Sunday.
“The 25-year-old is a snug fit for both this team's timeline and style of play. Creation might be the biggest gap in his game, but that shouldn't be a worry with the wealth of talent he'd have around him in Texas.”
“His three-point shooting and finishing would shine in this offense, and he'd add more length and disruption to what's already a stingy defense. He produces near a star-level (21.5 points on 47/37.9/88.6 shooting this season), but he isn't paid like one ($87 million over the next three seasons).”
“Now, he might carry a star-type price in terms of a trade, but again, that's doable if the decision-makers in the Alamo City deem him a necessary addition. If San Antonio seeks a player who can mesh with this core right away and grow with it in the coming years, Murphy fits that description better than anyone on or even near the market.”
Murphy would certainly be an intriguing fit with the Spurs in 2026-27 and beyond. Given that the Virginia product can occupy both the small and power forward positions (the Spurs could use a high-profile PF), he’ll likely be regarded as one of the most realistic trade targets for San Antonio heading into the offseason.
The 25-year-old is coming off his best season yet from a scoring perspective and defensive standpoint (21.5 points and 1.5 steals) and one of his best campaigns to date from a three-point shooting vantage point (37.9%).
The only problem is that the Spurs may be hesitant to bring in another contributor who’s done more losing than winning in his career thus far, following the De’Aaron Fox disaster in the final round of the postseason.
Murphy’s talent on both ends is undeniable, though, which could be enough to convince San Antonio to give Murphy a chance to prove himself in a winning environment.
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