Dejounte Murray, not Lonzo Ball, is the answer for the Chicago Bulls

It’s a well-known fact that the search for a floor general is at the forefront of the Chicago Bulls‘ priorities this summer. Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic have the team primed for a playoff push, all they need now is someone to set the table and create better shot opportunities for the rest of the team.

Plenty of high-profile names have been linked to the Bulls already, such as Spencer Dinwiddie, Mike Conley, and most notably, Lonzo Ball. However, I’d prefer to see Chicago go a different direction and pursue San Antonio’s, Dejounte Murray.

Murray has been at the heart of many trade rumors lately, as the controversy and doubts surrounding the direction of the Spurs’ future continue to grow louder. The spark that lit this fire was the blossoming point guard reportedly removing his current team from his Twitter bio, as well as a tweet directly addressing the rumors.

https://twitter.com/DejounteMurray/status/1414418310486167561?s=20

Zach Harper of The Athletic reported last week that “Dejounte Murray and Derrick White could both be gettable from the Spurs”, which clearly indicates that San Antonio’s front office is not averse to trading either of their two talented guards if the return package lines up with their long-term plans.

The Spurs have already indicated an interest in Lauri Markkanen, and the Bulls have enough assets to get a deal like this done. Coby White, Troy Brown Jr., the 38th pick in this year’s draft, and future pick swaps would presumably also be on the table.

Dejounte Murray is the better long-term answer at point guard over Lonzo Ball for the Chicago Bulls for a multitude of reasons.

Lonzo Ball has more name value, Ball without a doubt has the best Bulls jersey photoshops on Twitter, and he’s a much more effective jump shooter, these are all facts. However. he’s not the best option for the Bulls.

Dejounte Murray is a better shot creator.

One of the biggest criticisms of Lonzo’s game is his inability to create looks for himself in the set half-court defense. 19.7 percent of Lonzo’s shot attempts came between three feet away and the three-point line. That means over 80 percent of his offense consists of open layups and jump shots.

Meanwhile, 60.2 percent of Murray’s shots came within this designated region, indicating his ability to create looks for himself as a slasher. 41.5 percent of Lonzo’s two-point field goals came off an assist, whereas just 27.5 percent of Murray’s 2-point shots were assisted.

In a league where passing, defense, and 3-point jump-shooting are all more valuable than ever, why is New Orleans looking to move on from Ball? The answer lies within the numbers.

Dejounte Murray is cheaper.

At the current market rate for talented role players, Lonzo Ball is going to get paid. Fred VanVleet and Malcolm Brogdon signed for four years, $85 million. Terry Rozier signed for three years, $56.7 million. It’s safe to say that Lonzo will be paid in the ballpark range of $20 million per year, possibly more. That’s money the Bulls simply don’t have to offer unless they wish to give assets away in a sign-and-trade.

Murray on the other hand is on a very high-value contract. He’s set to enter the second season of a four-year, $64 million deal. That means Chicago would have their point guard spot finally locked up until the summer of 2024 at the earliest.

If this deal happened, the core four of LaVine, Vucevic, Murray, and Patrick Williams would cost a total of $66.35 million next season, leaving an enormous amount of space to add depth and work towards extending LaVine past next year.

Dejounte Murray is a better fit.

To better understand the context that separates the two, let’s take a look at each player’s per 100 possessions stat lines.

Murray: 23.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 2.3 steals, 2.7 turnovers.
Ball: 22.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 2.3 steals, 3.4 turnovers.

As you can see, there’s minimal difference between the actual statistical production of the two. It’s the way each player achieves their production that’s worth noting.

Lonzo is a very high-end role player. He will hit his open shots, push the ball in transition, and use his physical gifts to stay in front of his man on defense. If that’s what you’re asking of him, Ball will not disappoint. Unfortunately, the Bulls are asking for more.

The Bulls need a player that can have the ball in their hands a lot and keep the turnovers down. Chicago wants a player who can break down a defense with drives and pass out to LaVine and Vucevic for catch-and-shoot opportunities. The Windy City needs a player that can guard the Trae Youngs and Kyrie Irvings of the world.

The player the Bulls are asking for is Murray.

If there’s an offer on the table that San Antonio will bite at, it remains to be seen if the former All-Defensive Team point guard is on the trade block, the Bulls would be foolish to not aggressively pursue.