NBA rumors: Spurs preferred Wembanyama co-star revealed, and it's the wrong one

The San Antonio Spurs are expected to proceed patiently with Victor Wembanyama. The 7-foot-4 wunderkind is under team control for the next seven years at least, so the whole "San Antonio needs to rush!" narrative falls a little flat. Still, there could be an incentive for the Spurs to pick up steam in a hurry. Why waste time if Wemby is already a bonafide superstar?

By season's end, Wembanyama was posting historic stat lines on a nightly basis. He's a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year as a rookie. He's a shoo-in to win Rookie of the Year. He could end up on the All-NBA teams and he would 100 percent deserve it.

Gregg Popovich is an all-time great coach in the twilight of his career. He inked an extension to coach Wemby and shepherd the next era of Spurs basketball. Surely he would love to go out swinging, not hanging around the NBA's basement.

There has been a lot of buzz connecting the Spurs to veteran point guards this summer. If there was one glaring weakness for this season's San Antonio team — and we're picking one of many — it was the lack of stable point guard play next to Wemby. Tre Jones does a fine job setting the table, but the Spurs would benefit a ton from more playmaking creativity and shot-making from that position.

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks are widely expected to shop at least one of their guards this offseason. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray are both potentially up for grabs, and according to NBC Sports' Kurt Helin, the Spurs' front office has a preference.

"League sources have told NBC Sports not to bet on that happening, as San Antonio doesn’t see [Trae] Young as a fit with Wembanyama going forward. The Spurs might be more interested in the Hawks’ Dejounte Murray if he is available."

You aren't going crazy. You're not reading that backward. The Spurs prefer Dejounte Murray over Trae Young in a potential trade scenario.

Spurs prefer Dejounte Murray over Trae Young as Hawks trade target

Um. Well, there's plenty to unpack here.

Trae Young is better than Dejounte Murray, by a considerable margin. He is also a much cleaner fit next to Victor Wembanyama. That makes San Antonio's thinking on the situation a bit confounding. Murray makes less money and could be appealing for financial reasons, but Young is the blatantly more impactful and influential teammate. He would elevate the Spurs' role players and create countless easy looks for Wemby working out of pick-and-rolls.

It's impossible to ignore the built-in familiarity between Murray and the Spurs. San Antonio traded Murray to the Hawks two years ago, a trade the Spurs won convincingly. Bringing Murray back wouldn't cost as much as the outgoing price, and hey, the Hawks would probably love a couple of their picks back.

We have heard Murray wax poetic about the impact Popovich had on him as a player and a person. It's good to invest in players who enjoy a city, a team, and a system. Murray would look better as the Spurs' primary ball-handler than he does shoehorned in next to Trae Young, but the opposite is true, too. Young would look better freed from Murray's encroaching presence in the Atlanta backcourt.

Murray offers size and defense that Young never can, but the offensive disparity is vast. Young is one of the most creative playmakers in the NBA. Say what you will about his demeanor or his persona, but Young's ability to manipulate a defense with his handle and rifle passes with either hand is matched only by a select few. Young also stretches the defense with deep 3-point range, a constant pull-up threat as soon as he crosses halfcourt.

Combining Young's on-ball dynamism with Wembanyama's ability to finish from anywhere on the court — with that gaping catch radius around the basket — is a treat to just think about. To actually do it would move the Spurs up the competitive hierarchy rapidly.

The appeal of Murray is difficult to understand by comparison. That's not to say Murray wouldn't look great next to Wemby, as most point guards would. But, his shot profile is worse than Young's, and he generally doesn't create as many advantages with his handle or his passing. Murray's frame gives him an advantage around the rim, but he's not nearly the offensive skeleton key that Young is.

So, the Spurs should probably rethink their preference here.