With the 2024 trade deadline coming up, there has been a debate on whether or not the Nets should be buyers or sellers. This morning, NBA Insider Brian Windhorst discussed the Nets as a potential landing spot for Hawks guard Dejounte Murray.
While many fans believe the Nets should not give up assets for non-superstar players, Murray’s value has dropped since the start of the season due to the Hawks struggling. If the asking price is Spencer Dinwiddie and a protected 1st round pick, it is not absurd to trade for Murray. With the injury to Ben Simmons and Spencer Dinwiddie’s decline, Nets need a Point Guard to help facilitate and run the offense, in the short term it would allow Mikal Bridges & Cam Thomas to play off the ball and get into their sets. Historically, while Murray has fallen off on defense since getting traded to the Hawks, he was an All-Defense level defender in San Antonio. Theoretically speaking, Murray would act as a point of attack defender and become the Nets lead playmaker, two things the Nets desperately need right now.
While on paper, trading for Dejounte Murray makes sense, in reality it is risky and can easily hurt the Nets in the long term. While Murray used to be a high caliber defender, he has declined immensely on the defensive end, and while one can argue a change of scenery could reawaken him on the defensive end, current Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn has done an abysmal job at creating a defensive system this season, and has made multiple high quality defenders who are currently on the Nets look like defensive liabilities. Both Nic Claxton & Mikal Bridges, both of whom were in the running as Defensive Player of the Year candidates, are struggling to perform on the defensive end under Jacque Vaughn. The Brooklyn Nets are currently 23rd in defensive rating despite having multiple high quality defenders on the team, it is unrealistic to expect Murray to go back to his former defensive self under this current Nets defensive system.
While Murray would help the Nets in the short term, having him on the Nets would further stunt the development of Cam Thomas. While Thomas would benefit from having a Point Guard to help him get into his sets in the halfcourt, the biggest weakness in Thomas’ game is his playmaking, and if Thomas is constantly paired next to another ball handler, he will never receive the on ball reps needed for him to improve as a playmaker. While fans are against running Thomas at Point Guard, at some point the Nets will need to have him go through those growing pains if he ever wants to develop into a player that can score and pass at a respectable level. Vaughn has done a poor job at allowing Thomas to run the offense, having him play next to either Dinwiddie or Dennis Smith Jr at all times. If the Nets were to trade for Murray, Vaughn would undoubtedly prioritize Murray over Thomas’ development.
While trading for Murray would improve the Nets in the short term, the Nets need to think big picture. Giving up assets for a play-in team and further stunting the development of players like Cam Thomas will hurt the Nets long term goals of building a championship team. Right now, the Nets should focus on being sellers at the deadline and gathering more assets to make the superstar moves down the line.
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