What the San Antonio Spurs have to offer
When you look at what the Spurs have going for them right now, it is very hard not to be intrigued by their backcourt. Dejounte Murray and Derrick White are two former 29th overall picks who have grown into very reliable talents on both ends of the floor and Lonnie Walker IV is a really solid, athletic secondary talent on their bench.
In terms of the best trade the Spurs could offer for Ben Simmons, both Dejounte Murray and Derrick White have to be at the forefront of the conversation. Murray was drafted in 2016, the same year Simmons went first overall, and while he struggled early on in his career, he is now one of the better two-way guards in the entire league.
Murray averaged 15.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and shot 45.3% from the floor last season and he was a terrific one-on-one defender on the perimeter.
Having “triple-double-like” instincts on the court and being only 25-years-old, Dejounte Murray’s upside is extremely high and there is no doubt that he could be a championship-level point guard in Philadelphia next to guys like Embiid and Harris.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: This 76ers-Spurs Trade Sends Ben Simmons To San Antonio
As for Derrick White, he can hold his own defensively, but he is more of a “score-first” player at the shooting guard position. Becoming more of a threat from deep seems to be White’s main goal right now and he is definitely a player who could be in store for a major breakout season after averaging 15.4 points per game last season.
Along with Murray and White, the Spurs could also look to trade guys like Devin Vassell and Thaddeus Young for Ben Simmons, but neither one of these guys are really “headliners” like the Spurs’ two guards would be in this trade. If they were to trade Murray and White for Ben Simmons, it is possible Thad Young could be included in the deal if the 76ers were to include Seth Curry, but this is a little bit of wishful thinking.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: This 76ers-Spurs Trade Sends Ben Simmons To San Antonio
There is no denying the fact that the potential is there for Simmons to magically put everything together one day and become the best two-way player in the league, but the chance of him continuing to disappoint seems more likely, which is why the Spurs would probably be better off holding onto what they have right now.
