The story of the San Antonio Spurs and Dejounte Murray is over, at least for now, after it became official that the point guard will continue his NBA career with the Atlanta Hawks, with whom he has already been introduced. At this event, Murray shared the powerful reason for his now former team to let him go despite being one of their most important assets.
Despite not returning to the title game since the 2013-2014 season, during Dejounte Murray’s tenure, the San Antonio Spurs managed to at least advance to the Playoffs in three of the six seasons played, and in one of them lost the Conference Finals to the Golden State Warriors, ultimately that year’s NBA champions. It is worth mentioning that Murray did not play one season due to injury.
On an individual level, the Seattle, Washington native got to be an NBA All-Star and the league’s steals leader, both in 2022, which is no small feat. And that’s why Murray will always remember the San Antonio Spurs, especially because they accepted a painful truth for the five-time champions and allowed him to embark on a new adventure with the Atlanta Hawks.
The Spurs let Dejounte Murray go for this reason
With the joy of being officially introduced as a new player of the Atlanta Hawks. For Dejounte Murray, the Hawks traded Danilo Gallinari, three first-round draft picks and a draft swap to the San Antonio Spurs. However, the most powerful reason for Murray to leave Texas was another, and he shared it upon being introduced.
“They didn’t want to see me waste years rebuilding and stuff. They want to see me win and the best for Dejounte, and I thank them for that a lot. That’s what makes our relationship special and family forever.“, stated Dejounte according to San Antonio Express News’ Tom Orsborn.
At least in Atlanta Hawks, the 25-year-old point guard will have a better chance to compete for something he has yet to know, the NBA title, being surrounded by the likes of De’Andre Hunter and Trae Young, who can leverage their skills in tandem with Murray to break 64 years without a championship for the Hawks.
