Teams are calling the Spurs to inquire about Derrick White and Dejounte Murray, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on the latest episode of his Lowe Post podcast. Murray is having an All-Star caliber season and is under contract for two more years beyond 2021/22, so the cost for him would be extremely high if San Antonio is even willing to consider moving him at all.
“I would assume the Spurs will bat the Murray stuff away,” Lowe acknowledged. “But those are interesting names for teams that need guards.”
Although White is perhaps a more realistic target for teams in the market for backcourt help, the Spurs typically aren’t too active at the trade deadline. The team’s deal sending Bryn Forbes to Denver last week was just the third in-season trade San Antonio has made in the last 10 years — and the other two were very minor.
Here are a few more highlights from Lowe’s latest podcast with ESPN’s Bobby Marks:
- Lowe doesn’t view the Hawks as a serious contender to acquire Pistons forward Jerami Grant, at least for now. “They’ve been linked in recent reports to Jerami Grant,” Lowe said of the Hawks. “Personally, I think that’s old intel, based on what I’ve heard, and that they’re not in on Jerami Grant right now. I don’t think a Jerami Grant trade involving John Collins makes much sense because I think John Collins is just better than Jerami Grant.”
- Concerns about Jalen Brunson and/or Dorian Finney-Smith leaving Dallas as unrestricted free agents this offseason are legitimate and will have to be taken into account as the Mavericks consider their trade deadline plans, according to Lowe. “I believe the flight risk for both is very, very real — particularly Brunson,” he said.
- Both Lowe and Marks are skeptical the Magic will be able to get a significant return in a deal for Terrence Ross or Gary Harris. “If Orlando gets a first(-round pick) for either Ross or Harris, that’s a home run,” Lowe said. “I don’t expect them to be able to get it.”
- The Knicks are reportedly open to discussing several veteran players, but it’s one of their young players who is generating more trade interest from rival teams, according to Lowe: “I know the vultures are circling and they’re getting a lot of calls about (Immanuel) Quickley. And I think they’re batting those calls away, as they should, but the vultures are circling and trying to poach somebody from the Knicks, and Quickley’s a name that keeps coming up.”
- With the likely exception of Bradley Beal, no one is untouchable on the Wizards‘ roster, according to Lowe, who says Spencer Dinwiddie and Montrezl Harrell are a couple of the names he keeps hearing in trade speculation.
- Both Lowe and Marks believe the Sixers are more likely to hang onto Ben Simmons through the trade deadline than to move him by February 10.