Marquese Chriss’s fate could have been Dejounte Murray’s

Spurs made a move on the deadline that was so tiny in the grand scheme of things that it went almost unnoticed. They traded a former second-round pick who will likely never play in the NBA for an injured center that they immediately released, plus some cash.

When expressed this way, there is nothing of interest in the transaction. But as soon as the names of the people involved are included, things get interesting. Marquese Chriss is not just a young center, but a former lottery pick who was showing signs of finally putting everything in place before falling with a late-season injury. The fact that he was traded for cash for the former 55th pick in the 2015 Draft shows how quickly things can go wrong in the NBA and how lucky / smart the Spurs have been in their caps.

The mechanics of the trade are quite simple. For the Warriors, the motivation is clear. By relocating Chriss and Brad Wanamaker, they’ve significantly reduced their luxury tax bill and given themselves a bit more flexibility in their roster. Spurs were just one of the few teams to have a free spot on the roster and room below the tax line after LaMarcus Aldridge was released, so they made a reasonable partner for themselves. It was really just an accounting operation for the two teams, which have now evolved. But the story of Chriss and her fate is an interesting one, at least insofar as she crosses Spurs sideways – or at least a Spur.

Chriss has skyrocketed the draft boards after a single year at the University of Washington due to his explosive athleticism, despite being raw and lacking the strength to play professionally. Initially, he wasn’t even supposed to declare himself for the draft after his first season, but when the opportunity to make the first round appeared, he jumped on it. If this sounds familiar to you, it’s because it’s almost identical to Dejounte Murray’s story. The two Washington products shared that freshman season and a path to the league, and at first it looked like Chriss was on a better trajectory.

Unfortunately for Chriss, he didn’t land as well as her teammate Huskie. The Suns selected him and his other power forward Dragan Bender in the top 10, and Chriss was forced to start a terrible team with a crowded frontcourt rotation without yet having an NBA body. Murray, meanwhile, joined a contending Spurs roster that slowly brought him alone under the direction of an established development team and surrounded by Hall of Fame members. In his second season, Murray became a starter on a good team as Chriss began to be seen as a bust. The following year, the point guard was on his way to overtime while the big man, then in Houston, had his fourth-year option turned down.

The comparison helps paint a picture of how fortune plays a role in player development. It’s lazy to assume that coaches alone are responsible for the development of young players – and reductionist to say that the environment matters exponentially more than a prospect’s individual skill and resolve, but it’s also difficult to say that Chriss’s career wouldn’t have been. went differently if he had landed in San Antonio to grow slowly while learning from LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol. Placing eighth overall instead of 29th could have been the worst thing that has happened for Chriss. In terms of luck, even their costly injuries affected them in different ways, as Dejounte happened while he still had a promise and Chriss’ took place as he tried to seize an opportunity to finally establish himself. .

At this point we know Chriss will not be joining Spurs despite being described by Gregg Popovich as “a wonderful guy”, as they will be relinquishing her signing Gorgui Dieng. Still, it is interesting to play the “what if?” even if it’s with the current version of Murray’s former teammate. A healthy Chriss would be exactly the type of long, explosive backup center Spurs could use behind Jakob Poeltl. He would’ve been a much needed lob threat (which Drew Eubanks isn’t quite) while in theory serving as a switchable big on the other end. Silver and black might have provided the perfect platform for him to reach his potential, just as they did for his former college point guard. Alas, the only way to get connected to San Antonio was to take a salary waiver after a broken leg.

Every year there are small deadline trades that basically make no sense on the ground and the cap sheet. Chriss’s trade falls into that category, as it was just a pay dump that allowed Spurs to pocket money, Warriors to save on a tax bill, and nothing more.

From a different point of view, this is exactly the type of trading that makes it possible to reflect on the importance of luck and the environment in the careers of players. There might be a universe not too different from ours in which Chriss was the one with a good career, answering questions about the form of her injured former college friend on a team that would drop him the next day.