Dejounte Murray’s name is back in the trade conversation, and the Rockets are one of the teams that could make sense if the Pelicans guard is truly on the move.
The connection to Houston starts with Ime Udoka. Murray has already talked about the respect he gained for Udoka when the coach was on Gregg Popovich’s staff in San Antonio.
Back in 2022, during the NBA Finals, Murray told NBA.com, “I saw him tell (Gregg Popovich), ‘No, Pop, that was the wrong thing’ and stuff like that,” Murray told NBA.com back then. “The respect Pop has for him, I know it’s really, really, deep because Pop knew Ime wasn’t afraid to tell him if he was doing something wrong.
That’s huge. Knowing how great a man and coach Pop is, me as a 19-year-old coming in and seeing Pop respect Ime for his knowledge and him not being afraid to speak up, that held value for me.”
Udoka was on Popovich’s staff for Murray’s first three NBA seasons, and he saw the early version of Murray up close. In Murray’s second season, he broke through with All-Defensive Second Team honors after playing only 38 games as a rookie and averaging 8.5 minutes per game.
Since Udoka left San Antonio, Murray’s career has taken plenty of turns. He became an All-Star and has now been traded twice. A third move may be coming after ESPN reported Friday that the Pelicans guard wants out.
If Houston wanted to chase him, the basketball fit is easy to see. The Rockets have started 9-3 despite facing one of the league’s toughest schedules, and if they decide they need a major upgrade, point guard would be a natural place to look. Murray is the kind of player Udoka tends to trust, and while Kyrie Irving has been a name attached to Houston for months, Murray could line up more cleanly with what the Rockets already have.
The numbers this season are solid, though not eye-popping. Nearly two years after tearing his right Achilles tendon, Murray is averaging 13.4 points and 4.4 assists while shooting 43% from the field in 31 minutes per game. He has also gone four straight games without topping 12 points.
Money is part of the equation too. Murray is making $32.8 million this season and holds a $30.8 million player option for next season.
Houston has the draft capital and the contracts to build a deal, but there’s a big obstacle: Fred VanVleet. The Rockets could use VanVleet’s salary, along with a relatively small amount of added money, to make a trade work, and they have plenty of first-round picks available. But there’s little indication they would actually go that route.
VanVleet, back after the knee injury that wiped out his entire last season, has been excellent. He’s averaging 13.7 points per game and shooting 38.7% from 3-point range.
And the Rockets value more than just the box score. VanVleet’s leadership, on and off the floor, matters to Houston, and that makes him an incredibly unlikely piece to include in any Murray deal.
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