The New York Knicks have coveted Atlanta Hawks two-way star Dejounte Murray as Jalen Brunson‘s backcourt mate. But Murray’s former team is interested in a reunion and make him Victor Wembanyama’s running mate.
“We’re still waiting to see exactly how his market shakes out but one team that has a level of exploratory interest, I’m told, is his former team, the San Antonio Spurs,” The Athletic’s Shams Charania said on the January 9 episode of “Run It Back” on FanDuel TV.
The Spurs can compete with the Knicks in terms of draft capital and young players which could entire the Hawks to send Murray back to San Antonio.
Atlanta sent San Antonio three first-round picks, along with a pick swap in 2026, to acquire Murray two summers ago. They will look to recoup close to that as the bidding war begins for Murray, whose team-friendly $120 million, four-year extension kicks in next season.
The 6-foot-5 Murray has scored 20-plus points in each of his last five games, averaging gaudy numbers: 25.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 51% from the field and 46% from deep.
Murray has a 6-foot-10 wingspan, the kind of length that the Knicks desire to pair with the defensively-limited Brunson in their backcourt. The 27-year-old Murray was a former All-Star (2022) and an All-Defensive Second Team guard (2018).
NBA Denies Knicks’ DPE for Mitchell Robinson
The NBA rejected the Knicks’ $7.8 million Disabled Player Exception application for Mitchell Robinson, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The league’s basis is “because there’s optimism that Robinson can return from ankle surgery to play late in [the] regular season. [The] Knicks could be getting back one of [the] league’s best defensive centers,” per Wojnarowski.
Robinson suffered a left ankle sprain on December 8 against the Boston Celtics. Subsequently, he underwent surgery. The Knicks announced they will re-evaluate him in 6 to 8 weeks, which falls in mid-February.
The 25-year-old center was enjoying a career season, leading the league in offensive rebounding with 5.3 per game. In 21 games, Robinson averaged a career-high 10.3 rebounds along with 6.2 points on 59% shooting, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks.
Mitchell Robinson Goes Offline
Robinson went offline on his social media after posting his concerning post about his mental health.
“My mental health [has] been giving me hell [in] the past few weeks. So, I’m going to be [offline] from social media for a while until I get myself back. I appreciate everyone who supports me on my journey. All love,” Robinson’s last Snapchat post said that was picked up by Knicks Muse on X (formerly Twitter).
It is not the first time that Robinson hinted at struggling with his mental health.
After his injury on December 8 last year, he also posted a similarly-themed post on Snapchat.
“[I’ve] Been battling stuff my whole life; some days I feel like I take 10 steps ahead, and others feel like I took 20 steps back; even when I do what I’m supposed to, God throws these battles at me that feel like they’re unbeatable no matter what I do. I know I shouldn’t be letting this stuff get to my mental but over time it just takes over,” Robinson shared in December.
