As calls for the San Antonio Spurs to trade De’Aaron Fox grow louder, a fascinating new idea is doing the rounds.
The Spurs trade idea would land one of the best 3-and-D wings in the league, Trey Murphy III, and former NBA champion and scoring machine Jordan Poole. San Antonio would send out Fox and reigning Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson in a clean 2-for-2 swap without any picks or other salary fillers going either way.
Spurs Trade Idea Lands Trey Murphy
Spurs would receive: Trey Murphy, Jordan Poole
Pelicans would receive: De’Aaron Fox, Keldon Johnson
After the hypothetical trade, the Spurs would remain $11.73M below the first apron, while the Pelicans would be $2.53M below the repeater tax penalty. As such, neither team would be taking any major financial risks in this clean 2-for-2 transaction.
Why the Spurs Do It
Beyond the obvious reason — unleashing Dylan Harper — the Spurs would significantly bolster their three-point shooting with the additions of Murphy and Poole. Last year, the duo made a combined 5.7 threes per game at a good clip for the Pelicans, and that was even without playing alongside quality dribble-penetrators to get them open looks. On the Spurs, they’d be fed open looks due to the gravity created by Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle, making them even more lethal.
While Murphy can slide into the role of starting small forward next to Castle, Harper, Wemby and Tobias Harris (or Devin Vassell), Poole can serve as a microwave scorer off the bench and even carry ball-handling duties for Mitch Johnson’s second unit.
The best part about this trade? Poole is on expiring $34M salary, meaning the Spurs can either salary-dump or flip him closer to the trade deadline. And if Poole proves to be a good fit, they can use him for a playoff run and decide on his future next summer.
Spurs Need 3-Point Shooting
The San Antonio Spurs made a remarkable turnaround last season, going from a 34-win 13th seed to a 62-win Western Conference Champion. Yet, one palpable concern remains: three-point shooting.
The Spurs finished 16th in the league in both 3P% (.359) and 3PM (13.6) last season, trailing considerably behind fellow championship contenders like the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets.
Their long-range shooting struggles were further exposed during the NBA Finals, where their top four players struggled from deep. Victor Wembanyama went a meager 9-of-33 (.273), while Dylan Harper shot 7-of-25 (.280), Stephon Castle went 6-of-20 (.300) and De’Aaron Fox managed just 7-of-28 (.250). In comparison, the Knicks’ stars made timely threes, especially in the clutch, which ultimately helped them win the NBA title.
The additions of Murphy and Poole will help fix San Antonio’s biggest weakness.
Spurs Proposed to Land Trey Murphy, NBA Champion in De’Aaron Fox Trade