3 Former San Antonio Spurs thriving elsewhere to start the season

2.) Dejounte Murray

Shipping Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks was the defining move that started the rebuild for the Silver and Black, but saying goodbye to the homegrown All-Star was a contentious decision that split the fanbase during the 2022 offseason. His departure afforded the front office an in-depth evaluation of all their young talent while ensuring the team would have a spot in the Wembanyama sweepstakes.

The 27-year-old floor general has embraced his role as the second banana to Trae Young, and Murray is still among the most disruptive defenders in the NBA. Despite taking a backseat, he has added new skills to his repertoire. On top of being a lock to rack up 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists on a nightly basis, Dejounte has developed into a reliable shooter, burying 37.3% of his threes this season.

With the mediocre results of the Jeremy Sochan experiment and the ongoing 12-game losing streak, it would be fair for fans to wonder what the Spurs would look like with Murray leading the offense. The good guys have a matchup with their former point guard and Atlanta on Thursday. That contest might be their best opportunity to snap their cold spell, but Dejounte will have extra motivation to show out.