Indiana Pacers: 3 players to fix the defense via trade
By Luke Parrish
The Indiana Pacers should make a play for Dejounte Murray
The San Antonio Spurs are reportedly shopping guard Dejounte Murray after his fifth season with the team. Murray, who has worked his way back from injury in 2018, has been a steady force on the defensive end since entering the NBA. He has averaged over 1.5 steals in each of the last two seasons while adding 15.7 points per game in 2020-21.
His offensive production has not been perfect but with an effective field goal percentage of 48.5 percent and a decent free throw percentage over the last two seasons, there is a base to build upon.
Murray is far from a perfect player but his instincts on the defensive end cannot be mistaken. He does an excellent job of jumping passing lanes and using his hands to knock the ball loose, leading to easy layups in transition. The Pacers lack that sort of effort on the perimeter.
To strengthen his case, Murray is also a very good rebounder and playmaker given his size. He tallied 7.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists per contest last season and was the first player in Spurs history to average 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in a single season.
Indiana struggles with rebounding in a major way so adding a guard who can contribute in that aspect would be a huge bonus.
Dejounte Murray has received All-Defense votes in each of the last two seasons and has continued to make a name for himself on that end. With his offensive game slowly coming along, he can be a very important piece on a playoff team once again. The Pacers would be smart to make an offer to bring him in.